The Human World: An Adventure
by Purple Duskywing
Summary: After a year alone in the human world, Randall comes across a few other banished monsters. Together, they will face adventures, hardships, and each other. Eventually, Randall learns that there is a difference between surviving and living.
1. Prologue

**Hello! Thank you for being interested in my story and clicking the title! I've been wanting to write a fic about Randall for a while. (yes, I am a Randall fan-girl) I started a story not too long ago about him meeting some other banished monsters, but wasn't happy with how it was going, so I scratched it and started afresh. This will be an adventure story, focusing on Randall, a couple of OCs and a random character from MU that I threw in for fun. Please feel free to read on. Hopefully some reader out there will like this.**

The Human World: An Adventure

Prologue

Randall was lounging up in the branches of his tree with angry thoughts running through his head.

He had existed in this world for so long…nearly a year had passed since he had been thrown out here. The tally-marks decorating the tree numbered in the hundreds by now; one mark for each day. As today was nearly over, Randall added yet another one. The knife made the new tally in a ritualistic way; it had done this far too many times to count.

It still baffled him as to_ how_ he had ended up here. That furry blue bear and his puny green sidekick were the reason he had been reduced to living in a tree! They had just tossed him through that door without a care! As far as they were concerned, Randall Boggs had been erased from the Monster World as if he had never been.

Randall squinted into the twilight and crossed all of his arms. No point being angry now; what was done was done. There was just no getting out of this godforsaken swamp, no matter how hard he wished.

He cushioned his head and leaned back. The leaves hid him incredibly well; it was safe to doze up here for a little while in the setting sun.

The last year had been difficult. In the first few weeks of his unexpected banishment, he had tried to sneak back home. Many all-nighters had been pulled, waiting beside closet doors, hoping for a monster to come through. Sneaking into houses was too easy—all he had to do was disappear and creep in when a kid fell asleep. But as the weeks stretched into months, he had had time to think.

_What will happen if I _do_ get back?_

Possibilities rushed through his head again and again. Very likely he would be arrested, or banished albeit in a formal matter. Knowing his rivals, they had probably destroyed his brilliant scream extractor. All of the work, brainstorming, and secrecy had been for nothing. All just a waste…No matter how many different scenarios Randall concocted, the results were the same every time. If he returned, it was either arrest or banishment.

Well, since he was already here, he could save the authorities the trouble.

This was Louisiana, so the winter hadn't been too terrible. Cold weather never agreed with Randall, being the reptile that he was. It was a sheer stroke of luck that the door had led someplace where snow was rare. Early on, he discovered that luck was difficult to come by in this place.

He had survived winter, alligators, hunters, illness, rainstorms, lighting storms, hunger, snakes, bears, more rainstorms, gunshots, and even a few fractured bones. He had explored nearly the whole of the state by now, keeping track of the days while living in the odd bayou tree or state park. Even with his camouflaging, it was hard to avoid detection. Humans were_ everywhere_! It was hard not to run into them at some point during the day. In this particular swamp, there was enough wilderness to stay hidden, and enough food to live on.

The residents of a nearby trailer park had a tendency to use shovels for beating off alligators. They were also his emergency supply source. Randall hadn't stooped so low as to take food from them. He was quite capable of taking care of himself! It was amazing how those people could stand living so close to this dangerous forest; he had to fight off animals practically every day!

Randall's days of existence consisted of foraging in the swamp, hunting, gathering water, and growing what food he could. The trailer park offered useful things like knives and medical supplies if he was ever in trouble.

To keep his mind sharp and occupied, Randall built contraptions such as rope and pulley systems for hoisting things up into the tree. He whittled bowls and plates to eat off of to be a bit more civilized. Using branches and assorted junk from the trailer park, he invented a powerful slingshot for hunting birds and small animals. He wove mats from various swamp grasses to keep dry in the rain. They were a little thin when it came to cold weather, but better than nothing.

When the sun was nearly out of sight, Randall shoke out of his light doze.

This tree was an old, twisted thing. At the top of the trunk, where the branches all met, was a flat hollow, big enough for him to curl up and sleep in. He was an excellent natural climber. Scaling the twisted branches was easy as he maneuvered deeper into the foliage. The leaves hid him from below and above, and offered shade when he needed it. The hollow was lined with some stolen blankets in an attempt to make it more comfortable. All around hung collected tools, homemade utensils, and other knick-knacks. An old shard of mirror—thrown away by some trailer park resident—was wedged up against a branch base. Randall used it to quickly check a fresh cut on his face from a few days ago.

His reflection was drastically different than the one back in Monstropolis. His purple scales were tanned a deeper shade from being outdoors all the time. He was a lot thinner, but had built up plenty of muscle to make up for it. Several scars and bite marks could be found all over his body; some courtesy of animals, others from accidents or minor gunshot wounds. His eyes were forever squinting, but at least he could see well enough to use the slingshot.

"What I wouldn't give for some glasses right about now…" he mumbled to himself.

Satisfied that the cut was healing properly, he settled down in his pitiful 'room' to get some sleep. The last rays of sunshine finally winked out. Sounds of frogs and crickets filled the silence and helped the lone monster drift off.

All of the things Randall had done and endured were to try and survive; no more. He had set up a home in this tree, built weapons, grown and hunted his own food, and built up his strength.

Without even realizing it, he had adapted well.

However, Randall's last thoughts as he fell asleep were of what his bleak future would be, trapped in his world.


	2. Last Day Alone

Chapter 1: Last Day Alone

Sleeping outside often made Randall wake up dreadfully early.

The sky was barely light when he opened his eyes. Groaning, he pushed a woven mat over his head. There was no reason to get up this early! There was no job to go to anymore, so he could sleep as much as he liked. It wasn't until early sunshine hit his face in an annoying way when he got up.

Down on the mossy ground, frogs were still croaking away like they did all the time. Bugs kept flying around Randall's face as he prepared a meager breakfast.

"Get lost!" he said aloud, swatting at some dragonflies. "There's enough to do today without you!"

Breakfast was only a bowl of foraged berries, roots, and other edible plants. Monsters could eat practically anything, but Randall's tastes were a bit more high class. He liked good, tasty food, and being reduced to these human 'delicacies' had been hard. But it kept him alive. One thing he really missed was his own kitchen back in Monstropolis. He imagined all the things he could be making for breakfast right now, instead of sitting on a tree root eating plants out of a wooden bowl.

The first chore of the day was gathering water. From the hideout in the treetops he fetched four empty plastic bottles, one for each hand. There was a steady stream nearby that was fresh enough to drink from. It wasn't home to any gators, thank goodness. Having to deal with gators out in the open swamp was enough trouble.

Although it was unlikely that humans were up and about, Randall was cautious, making his way through the trees. He blended to a marbled green moss pattern to be on the safe side, and kept to the dense bushes.

The chore was uneventful, and he returned to the hideout with enough water to last the day.

…

A little later, Randall was ready to raid the trailer park for some supplies. He needed some matches or a lighter, or something along those lines to start campfires. They were such timesavers; much faster than rubbing sticks together.

He lay flat on the ground, peeking out from behind a log. The edge of the trailer park lay about fifty feet away and he was waiting for a wise time to sneak in.

"Come on, come on," he whispered. At least three families were outside, enjoying the spring sunshine. "Can't steal anything with you all wandering around!"

Even if he was invisible, the people would notice random objects floating around, or a door opening of its own free will. He had to wait for just the right moment.

Randall was _not_ patient, but he was learning to be. Patience paid off, for the chance to sneak in came when a human man propped open a screen door to let fresh air into his trailer.

_Perfect!_ Randall disappeared completely.

He had to watch his step when crossing a small swamp pond. Using the rocks as stepping stones, he avoided picking up water droplets. If he got wet, the water would still be visible and risk exposing him.

These humans were a noisy bunch! Talking loudly, and telling each other corny jokes in loud voices as the invisible lizard slinked by. They had no clue he was there.

Randall was quick. He got into the empty trailer without a sound, found a barbeque lighter and a book of matches in a drawer, and dropped them out a window that faced the wild swamp. Before anyone could shut the screen door, he was back outside.

There was a close call when a hyperactive boy ran by and almost knocked into him. But no trouble arose.

Randall retrieved the lighter and matches from the grass and stayed low, keeping the tools hidden in the grass. The humans' voices faded; they hadn't noticed a thing. Randall didn't reappear until he was safe among the trees.

"There. Done." He said to no one.

…

Lunch was a solitary meal, as usual. He caught a fish and picked some edible green things from the vegetable garden growing by his tree. Learning how to grow food straight from seeds had truly been the most time-consuming, tedious chore he had learned thus far. But it really paid off in the long run.

"Augh. I'm so hungry!" He complained as he finished eating. He was in the mood for something a little hardier then a small fish with vegetables. "Next bird I see, I'm totally killing it."

He climbed the tree to fetch his slingshot, still speaking aloud. "Stop talking to yourself, Randall."

…

That afternoon, Randall went deeper into the bayou to do some hunting. The invented slingshot was impressive, with a double-firing style that allowed him to use two arms and shoot two stones at once. It was good for hunting birds and other small animals. It would either kill them or stun them long enough to catch them. For fighting off alligators, Randall found it best to use his own teeth. He was about the same size as an adult gator, and with his new strength, it was always a fair fight.

One good hunting tactic was blending in with the moss, with his body wrapped around a branch. This was more of a sneak attack strategy.

Randall bided his time. The slingshot was armed, and the birds landed on neighboring branches to sing cheerily. When one was in just the right spot, close enough for Randall to clearly see it, anyway, he fired twice in quick succession. The bird tweeted its last when the sharp rocks struck its head. Randall caught it with his dexterous tail as it fell.

A bit small for dinner, so he killed a few more.

He wished he had his glasses. Hunting would be far easier that way!

…

The afternoon ended up being very mundane.

Randall built a small fire so the birds would be nicely cooked by evening. The smoke leaving the fire was very minimal; it could not be seen above the treetops. But a small fire also meant it took _forever_ to cook anything! Many monsters could eat raw meat without having to worry, but Randall liked the taste of cooked food better.

What he wouldn't give for a stove out here!

To pass the time, he checked the sound alarms. They were only strings of tin cans that rattled when triggered. The string was like a tripwire across the ground, and the cans hung unseen in the foliage above. Randall had rigged up over a dozen in the area. Just to be sure no humans would come across his hideout.

Mid-afternoon, he once again tried to construct a bow and arrow set. It was a slow-going project. The various branches, poles, twine, and other materials were not cooperating! But he was smart; he would figure out a solution in time. It wasn't as if he had a deadline.

When Randall became bored of that, he stretched out on the largest root of his tree and entertained himself by shifting into the colors of any insect that buzzed by; mostly iridescent dragonfly patterns of blue, orange, and green. As he lay there, changing random colors, his mind wandered a bit…The anniversary of his banishment was drawing near. He doubted his family missed him, or even if they were aware of his fate. He didn't exactly have friends—Jeffery Fungus was probably the closest thing to one, but more likely was celebrating Randall's absence. Outside of work, Randall had lived alone, in a small house, without even a pet for company.

Yes, he was used to being alone. But out here in the Human World, he was finally beginning to feel lonely.

Talking to himself helped somewhat.

…

Randall felt better after eating some dinner. By the time the birds were cooked to his liking, the sun had begun to sink.

Watching the sunset and admiring the view from a tall tree was always a good way to end the day. He reclined on a branch with his tail wrapped around to keep from falling. The late sunlight shone pure gold, with a mix of red, and pink, and just a hint of orange along the treeline. No matter how boring a day ended up being, this view certainly made up for it.

From the perch, the edge of the trailer park could barely be spotted. Of course it was extremely blurry, but Randall could still see the sun glinting off of the distant aluminum roofs.

He sighed. Another day was over. "Time for another mark…and quit talking to yourself! That will only prove you're losing your mind."

He pulled out a knife and added another tally to the tree's growing collection.

He munched on a dessert of wild berries while the sun tanned his scales. How he missed the sweets from Monstropolis! Especially cake and cupcakes. He had almost forgotten what they tasted like!

Suddenly, there came a loud rattle from one of the sound alarms.

His reaction was instantaneous.

He slinked without a sound through the treetops in the direction of the noise. If any humans discovered his hideout, he may have to find another tree. Frightening humans off was easy enough. If they were armed hunters, just throwing things at them while invisible was enough to make them scatter. If they were unarmed, Randall would disguise himself as a wild alligator and 'attack.' The tactics worked every time.

It was a few minutes until he reached the site. The string of tin cans had crashed to the ground. Whatever had tripped it had run off. Nobody was in sight but a few fireflies buzzing around. Randall was about to leave, but then he spied fresh footprints on the damp ground. They were moving towards the stream, in the opposite direction of his hideout.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

More out of curiosity then anything, Randall decided to track the unwanted visitor. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do.

He had gotten so skilled at maneuvering through the branches that the leaves scarcely rustled.

First he heard the rushing stream, and then heard a woman's complaining voice: "Ugh! _Disgusting_! Why are they making me do this?"

Randall positioned himself directly over the stream, blending into the bark. At the sight of the intruder, he nearly lost balance in surprise. The sight was so astounding that his eyes widened.

_Another monster_! It had to be an illusion. He had to blink a few times to be convinced. It was real! Another monster, here in this dimension!

Not just any monster, though. In the entire universe, she was the absolute _last_ monster one would _ever_ expect to run into out here in the Human World. He didn't know her personally, or even place her name, but he still recognized her. All the members of the Python Nu Kappa sorority had looked the same.

She was lavender-skinned with light purple hair, three-eyed, tall, with clawed hands and feet. The furry pink outfit and legwarmers were no more. She wore a worn-out red dress with the logo of Scream Industries scare company, and black boots. She was dirty from head to toe, and her hair was looking rather unkempt. A very different monster from what he remembered from college ten years ago.

The woman's boots were evidently not waterproof. She had taken them off and was emptying them. When her clawed feet touched the mossy ground, she cringed in revulsion. "Ugh, squishy! Of all places to pick, why a _swamp?!_"

She pulled out several water bottles from a backpack she wore and filled them up at the stream.

Randall had never been more shocked. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it all.

What on earth was a member of that prissy, perfect, pink sorority doing in the Human World? By the sounds of it, she wasn't here alone. Her complaints were evident of that, and she wouldn't fill up so many water bottles unless there were others nearby.

The woman stored the bottles away and began to trudge barefoot, carrying her boots, back through the bayou. Words of complaint were muttered the whole time.

Without a second thought, Randall followed from the treetops. The hope of seeing other monsters was almost too good to believe…

**I think that's a good start. Just enough to get people interested. I have one request to anyone who made it to the end of this chapter: if you want to review, please do not leave anything mean and nasty! Thank you!**


	3. Observations

**I Made a few changes to the earlier chapters. Before, I had Randall in Florida, because that's where I thought he had ended up at the end of Monsters Inc. Thanks to a reader's review, I finally realized it was Louisiana. Thank you, pitbulllady, for the help! Now that everything's more accurate, on with the story!**

Chapter 2: Observing

The trek to wherever the Python Nu Kappa woman was going would not have taken so long if she didn't dawdle so much!

Randall stayed as close as he dared; it was difficult keeping her in sight through all this infernal moss. She was so focused on not touching the native wildlife that she was completely oblivious to everything else. Fireflies kept buzzing around her face, and she swatted at them in aggravation. A spider dropped onto her nose and she squealed in horror. At one point, she slipped into a patch of muddy earth, sending the sticky stuff flying. The whole time, she did not keep watch for animals and other dangers of the swamp.

Randall shook his head in disapproval. Rule number one of living out here: be aware of your surroundings and keep a sharp lookout. Or else you get attacked by an alligator.

As much as he yearned for company, he decided to remain silent and observe for a bit. Other banished monsters could be here for any number of crimes! If there was anything he had learned in the last year, it was better to be safe than sorry.

From the branches, he watched the PNK woman's progress with some amusement. Clearly she was not made for the bayous. "Oh my God…" she groaned, smearing mud off of her face and arms. "_Why_, oh why are we here? Just because I was outvoted…"

She begrudgingly pushed on through the trees. At every swamp pond or mud puddle she paused to scowl at it in hatred. This was why the trek was taking so long. Whenever a pond appeared, she would either find a way around it, or climb tentatively over tree roots to cross it. Words of complaint were muttered constantly.

A good half hour had passed by the time the glow of a campfire shone through the trees. The sun was completely gone by this point. Apart from the fireflies, the campfire was the only way to see anything! The PNK woman sighed in relief. Finally, the one thing she was glad to see after being sent on a walk through this nightmare!

…

Randall saw the fire before she did and climbed higher for a better view.

It was a small campsite, just as he hoped. He counted no fewer than three tents constructed of what looked like a black plastic tarp, a bedsheet, and a thick patchwork quilt. All around were knapsacks overflowing with various objects such as cups, tools, fishing gear, jars of foraged food, maps, and sunhats. A smell of freshly cooked game hovered in the area; the flames of the fire illuminated everything very clearly…

With a pang of alarm, Randall noticed a shotgun lying in plain sight. He blended into the moss of the tree and watched with caution.

There was one new monster sitting on a mushroom-covered log and eating a hunk of cooked meat. Judging by the number of tents, Randall deduced there were at_ least_ three monsters to contend with. He squinted at the stranger and at the shotgun at her feet.

She would have been a head shorter than the PNK woman if she'd been standing. Her skin was scaly, in a rich royal blue color with gold speckles on her face and limbs. She was bipedal and seemed to be part aquatic, for numerous fins ran down her skull and back. Gill slits lined her torso, and her tail ended in an eel-like fashion. Her teeth did not have much sharpness to them; she didn't seem to have any other form of self-defense. No claws, no fangs, nothing. Yet her face was hard and stern—the face of a survivor.

Randall watched as the PNK woman trudged up to the aquatic one and tossed the backpack of water bottles to the ground. "There! Done!" she announced.

"What took so long? The stream isn't that far—" the royal blue woman looked up from her hand-held meaty dinner.

"I was trying to stay in one piece! This place is crawling with bugs, every living thing wants to _kill us_, and there is so much mud and muck that I can't even take a step without getting drenched in it! Why was_ I_ sent traipsing around through it all just to get water, anyway?"

"Because it's your turn," The aquatic woman said sternly. "Don't start whining again, Naomi. We're all getting pretty sick of it."

Randall's memory was suddenly jogged…Naomi…Naomi Jackson! That was her name.

"I will whine as much as I want, thank you very much! There is _nothing_ good to say about this gator-invested deathtrap! How long did Bernard say we have to stay here?"

"For the final time, we are _not_ staying. We are _passing through_. The coast is only a few days from here."

"A 'few days' always turns into more, I've noticed." Naomi frowned and crossed her arms haughtily.

The royal blue monster sighed with exasperation.

Naomi then began pacing, still venting off anger. "It takes _forever_ for us to get anywhere! I'm sick of this!"

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it, Princess. You're stuck out here, whether you like it or not."

"Don't talk like that!" Naomi looked alarmed. "I'm sure my name will be cleared soon…someone will come and fetch me."

"That's what you've been saying since winter. Face it; you're not going back." The harsh realistic tone of the blue monster's voice put an end to the discussion, leaving Naomi looking crest-fallen.

The former PNK member stopped pacing and merely stood, scraping mud from her dress.

"Hungry?" the blue monster changed the subject and offered some of the meat.

"What is it, again?" Naomi wrinkled her nose.

"I dunno; some rodent I killed. A bit tough, but it's still food."

"…not right now. Let me get cleaned up, first." Naomi began walking out of the campsite, presumably to find a place to bathe.

"No point in that, you know. You'll only get dirty again!" the blue monster resumed eating. "Take a pistol, you might run into a gator!"

"I'll be fine!" Naomi called as she walked off. "You'll never catch me using one of those anyway. They're barbaric!"

…

Up in the treetops, Randall tried to piece together this story. So the PNK woman hadn't been here very long…only a few months at the most, still wearing a Scream Industries uniform. As to why she had been banished, he was completely clueless. The Python Nu Kappa sorority—at least back in college—had all been smart, hard-working overachievers. Seeing one of them in the Human World was certainly a strange sight.

The aquatic woman couldn't be much older then him, but it was obvious she had been banished for quite some time. From what he had observed thus far, she was not one to anger. Anyone who knew their way around pistols and shotguns was not to be messed with.

Still, these were the first monsters Randall had seen in a year. How many made up the group was a mystery, but that was easy to solve. He would wait up here and keep watching. When it seemed safe, only then would he show himself.

He hoped he wouldn't have to be alone anymore… If he spent too much time talking to himself, there was a definite possibility of going crazy!

…

About fifteen minutes later, Naomi returned mud-free with damp purple hair plastered down her back. She had changed into a plain grey outfit and was wringing out her red work dress. "Well, these have seen better days…" she held up her falling-apart boots.

"Just toss them, already. There are more important things to worry about then footwear. Like how we're going to get through the city."

"Can't we just go around?" Naomi sat down on the log and helped herself to some rodent.

"Maybe. There are a lot of trailer parks around here, but they shouldn't be too hard to avoid. I still say it would be best to follow the river. With a little mud, we could all pass off as swamp animals."

Naomi choked. "And get shot at?! No thank you, Becca! And you're not talking me into more mud! I say we head through the city itself by night."

The aquatic monster rolled her eyes. "Stupid idea. Let's just drop it and figure it out in the morning. We'll take a vote on it at breakfast."

Naomi pouted. She sat in silence for a few minutes while she ate. Several bugs got in the way and she had to swat at them at every other bite.

During this time, the crickets began to chirp soothingly, which helped cool down her temper. With the stars peeping through the overhead branches, the atmosphere was becoming far more relaxed. The two monsters began letting their guard down just a tad. Naomi pulled a blanket from a knapsack to sit on by the fire, while Becca stretched out full-length on the log.

"Where are the others? They should be back by now." Naomi asked, combing her hair with her claws.

"Bernard's out scouting the area and Suzie went with him. Won't be surprised if she wanders off, though."

"Betcha she won't; she's been pretty good lately."

"Ha! If you're right, I'll take your shift to stand guard," Becca smirked. "And if I'm right, you take mine."

"Deal. I could use some extra sleep." Naomi dug through the knapsack in search of something edible. She pulled out a glass jar stuffed with wild berries. Sighed in disappointment, she munched away. "You know, I'd give anything for microwave lasagna! It was my favorite dinner."

"Sushi was mine."

"That's no surprise; you and your seafood!" Naomi tossed a berry at her, her mood becoming far more cheerful.

…

So there were four of them…Randall had seen enough. This was only a band of survivors trying to stay alive. And probably the only monstrous faces he would ever see again if he didn't make himself known. The thought of living alone for the rest of his existence was too depressing to even think about.

He slowly shifted from moss green back to his natural purple scales. Time to do this…he couldn't remember the last time he felt this nervous! Purposefully, he made plenty of noise while climbing down the tree. It was to grab the other monsters' attention and not alarm them.

Becca was the first to hear the shuffling. She sat up on the log and looked into the dark undergrowth. Her attitude quickly returned to its hard-surfaced nature. She couldn't see anything but fireflies buzzing around; it was so dark tonight. Noises coming from an unknown source was never a good thing, especially out here. "That you, Bernard?"

Randall's heart pounded hard enough to hurt; the nerves were terrible! No going back now…he answered aloud, finally speaking to someone after nearly a year: "No…"

He climbed over a few roots and stepped into the light of the campfire. The sudden bright glow made him blink. He stood there in full view, waiting to see what these strangers would do.

Naomi remained sitting on the blanket, staring at him in utter surprise. All three of her blue eyes bulged out of their sockets.

Becca, however, had picked up the shotgun and was aiming it straight at him.

**Slight cliffhanger. :)**


	4. A Tense Meeting

Chapter 3: A Tense Meeting

"Don't move," Becca warned, her finger on the trigger. "Hands in the air—all of them!"

Randall half-expected something like this to happen. He had been shot at before, but something this close range would not be pleasant. So he did what he was ordered, keeping his distance and staying near the trees.

"Who the hell are you?" Becca demanded.

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Randall frowned with impatience. "I'm exiled, like you."

Naomi hadn't moved from the ground, nor stopped staring in disbelief. Suddenly, she lit up with recognition and stood so as to get a better look at him. "Wait…I know you! Monsters University, right? Weren't you in the Scare Program?"

"Yes. Top of the class my Senior Year."

"Of course! Thought you looked familiar! What's your name, again? Something, Boggs?"

"Good grief, Naomi! You're supposed to back me up here!" Becca scolded. "Total strangers wandering into camp are _not wanted_. If it had been a human, we'd be in even deeper trouble! You probably led him here and didn't even know it!"

Naomi pouted, annoyed at her friend's truth. "Well, he's not human, is he? No harm done," She turned back to the scaly purple lizard, who still held his hands in the air. "So, who are you, again?"

"Randall Boggs. And you're Naomi Jackson, from what I remember." He nodded towards the royal blue stranger. "Think I heard your name was Becca?"

"Yes. Now that we all know each other, enough chitchat! How long have you been spying on us?" she raised the shotgun once again.

"Really, Becca, you're embarrassing yourself," said Naomi.

…

Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. Randall's basic instincts told him to disappear and make a run for it. The sensation of blending away into thin air was threatening to take over automatically, but he fought it with all his might. Having a shotgun aimed at him wasn't helping.

…

"I'm not taking any chances," Becca explained. "Last time we dropped our guard, someone died. We swore it wouldn't happen again! And there are enough monsters in our group, anyway!"

"Are there only four of you?" Randall asked.

Naomi nodded. "Uh huh; but even with five, staying away from the humans shouldn't be hard. We'd still be a small group."

"Absolutely not. If he joins, there is a greater risk of one or all of us getting captured, dissected, and who-knows-what-else, or risk exposing the entire world of Monsters in the long run," Becca interrupted. "No. There is too much danger, letting him join."

…

This wasn't going at all well. Not at all like the way Randall wanted. _Think of something, quick! Get on their good side!_ It was time to use some of his deviousness. Maybe a pity story would do the trick…

…

"If you don't want me around, just shoot me already! You'd be doing me a favor."

That got Naomi's attention, at least. She took a step closer to clearly see every scar and bite-mark decorating the purple lizard's body. Light from the campfire flickered to outline every one. The freshest was on his face, and still healing. The sight of all these wounds was enough evidence to prove that he had had a rough stretch.

Naomi asked carefully, "Just how long have you been here?"

"'Bout a year. And you two are the first I've spoken to in all this time," Randall watched their faces carefully. "So if you plan on shooting me, just do it. That would be better than living in solitude."

Back in the bright firelight, Becca's harsh face softened ever so slightly. _Bingo._

"Hmm..." Becca grumbled. "Naomi, get over here. You, Boggs or whoever you are, you hold that thought and don't move from that spot."

…

Good. The tactic seemed to be working. Randall had convinced the Python Nu Kappa woman, anyway. A part of him was worried that not all of these strangers would be so easy-going. All he wanted was some company! It wasn't as if he was going to kill them all and steal supplies and weapons…perhaps that was why Becca was acting so paranoid.

The two strangers began whispering in hushed voices, too quiet to hear.

Because the shotgun was still raised, Randall kept still. He blew at some passing fireflies while waiting. There was still a shred of hope; if this went well, he wouldn't have to constantly talk to himself.

…

Out of earshot, Becca pulled Naomi's head down lower to whisper in her ear. "Well, what do you think?"

"It can't hurt. There are four of us and one of him. And he's unarmed."

"That doesn't mean there's nothing to worry about…" Becca glanced at the lean muscles and numerous scars of the intruder, who was watching fireflies in a bored way. "By the looks of it, he's been in a lot of fights and won."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Naomi tried to make her see sense. "A fighter will come in handy, especially in this state. It won't be long until one of us gets eaten. Do you know how many close calls we've had lately? Even with the guns, it's tough."

"It wouldn't be if you'd just learn how to use one."

"No way! Besides—" Naomi took another glance at Randall. "He looks pretty strong. Bernard could use his help."

Becca gave a questioning look, still very unsure.

"Bernard's not exactly a young guy, you know," Naomi went on. "A strong fighter may be just what we need. Think about it!"

That seemed to convince Becca, for she began weighing the pros and cons in her head. The next minute or so was silent while she thought. Only the crickets chirped from the dark undergrowth and the fire crackled and popped yellow flames. The PNK woman's mind was decided. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as she awaited Becca's choice.

"Hey! My arms are getting tired! Are you going to shoot me or not?" Randall called from the flickering shadows.

Becca finally lowered the shotgun. "…you can come up to the fire, but nothing is decided yet. Bernard is in charge around here! When he and Suzie get back, we'll figure out what to do with you, Boggs." Becca took a sideways look at Naomi. "Not all of us are so easily won over."

…

Naomi was full of conversation with this newcomer's arrival. She sat on one side of the campfire with Randall, asking all sorts of questions about his time alone here in the swamp. On the other side of the fire was Becca, on the mushroom-covered log, warily watching. The shotgun rested a hand's breadth away as a precaution.

He and the PNK sorority member may not be college-age teenagers anymore, but she still acted like one to some extent. She still spoke in that cheery, high-pitched voice and was a bit too preoccupied with her appearance. When her hair was fully dried by campfire, she kept fussing and fretting over it vainly. She chatted with Randall about days at Monsters' University, doing most of the talking, and went on with how she and a few of her sorority sisters had gotten jobs at Scream Industries.

"…and it was back in the fall when Carrie, Heather and I started a friendly bet to see who could gather the most screams by Christmas! At first it was fun, but after a while, Heather got lucky with _oodles_ of slumber parties and Carrie was experienced enough to scare the older kids, which of course generates more power, so both of them got _way_ ahead of me! All I needed was a few hundred points more to catch up," Naomi chattered on with an angry tone. "I tapped into the computer system so points from the other scarers would be transferred to my own score. It worked, too! But Carrie and Heather found out. Boy, were they mad! I doubt they'll ever speak to me again…"she looked down at the ground, slightly ashamed. "Turns out transferring points is punishable by banishment. Carrie turned me in, and I was thrown into some random place in Arizona! That's where Bernard, Becca and Suzie found me a few weeks later."

"And good thing, too," Becca added from her spot on the log. "Another day and you would've jumped into that Great Canyon!"

Randall knew what she was referring to. "The Grand Canyon?"

"Yeah, that's it. I_ hate_ the outdoors, I was starving, and bored out of my skull!" Naomi complained. "Jumping off a cliff sounded like a great idea at the time!"

"At least help found you, eventually," Randall commented. He was choosing his words wisely. It was vital he played his 'sorrowful story' act to its fullest, just until earning the group's trust. "Sometimes I take supplies from the trailer parks around here, but beyond that, I've been on my own. Been spotted and shot at a couple of times—"

Here, Naomi made a troubled face, but Becca remained emotionless.

"—out here, it's either toughen up or get eaten by alligators." Randall had yet to tell how he had come to be in the swamp; he'd think up a believable excuse later, when the other monsters returned form scouting. For now, he looked over at Becca. "So, what's your story?"

"I'm not telling you! Naomi can babble all she wants, but I'm not saying a word!"

"She will in time," Naomi told him in a whisper. "Always the cautious one, Becca."

…

_Great. Now my plan just got harder._ Randall thought. The woman probably wanted to shoot him right now! Was a little company so hard to find in the Human World?

…

It wasn't long after when a new face appeared, striding out of the bayou's moss-draped trees.

Randall was not easy in intimidate. The sight of the leader of this band of survivors worried him a good deal, though.

Bernard was built like a gorilla and stood just as tall as one. His skin was bright red, which was no doubt easy to spot from a distance. His head was disproportionately small with huge teeth that stuck out from the mouth like an angler fish. Colorful feathers grew out of his head and down his back. When the hulking leader strode into camp, the crest of feathers popped up in surprise upon seeing the newcomer.

Randall stared right back, almost with nervousness. This guy was big enough to tear him to pieces. He would have to be careful.

Bernard was a little bit older, mid-fifties or more. Wrinkles lined his eyes and cheeks. There was a worn-out, weathered look about him, and he walked quite slowly. But right away, Randall could tell the stranger had had a lot of experience in the Human World.

"Look who finally showed up!" Becca commented on the red monster's appearance. "We have a visitor, Bernard."

The man took off his backpack of supplies and settled down on the log. The astonishment on his fearsome face evaporated quickly. "Looks like we missed something big; you'd better start explaining, fast."

_Whew! At least he's not as crazy as Becca._ Randall thought as the others launched into the story of all that had happened this evening. While they were busy, he finally noticed that the mysterious Suzie was present as well. She had been so quiet and completely blocked from view by Bernard's stature, but now stood and stared with curiosity.

She was physically similar to Becca—Randall suspected they could even be related, but surely family members couldn't be banished together, right? Suzie was smaller, with the same long body and tail, but far fewer fins and no gills. Her scales were a deep, forest green shade, with identical golden speckles on her face and limbs. Growing from her head were half a dozen drooping feelers with fin-like tufts on the ends.

Randall guessed she couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Barely out of high school.

"…and now you're here, so what's _your_ opinion about all this?" Becca was finishing up.

Bernard had listened attentively. He turned to Randall, who was still seated on the mossy ground. "Bernard Brennan; nice to meet you," he introduced himself. "So you already know Naomi—this is Suzanne and Rebecca McKeen, but we'll get to formalities later. Now, let's get straight to the point: Why do you want to join us?"

_OK, Randall. Talk your way into this._ "Why not?" he said. "There's safety in numbers, right? And I'm going stir-crazy by myself."

"By the look of you, it doesn't seem like you need help," Bernard sensed this strong young monster was doing just fine on his own. "But if you want to join us, I don't see why not."

_Yes!_ Randall cheered in his head. Finally, his year of solitude may be ending!

"On one condition," Bernard warned with sternness. "Under no circumstances are you to touch our weapons. No shotgun, no pistols, nothing. Not until I'm sure we can trust you. The last time a new member was welcomed in our midst there was…an accident. If you're smart, the same thing won't happen to you."

Naomi and a wide-eyed Suzie looked worried at the statement. Becca became annoyed that the stranger was joining, but refrained from protest. She propped her chin on an elbow and frowned.

Randall nodded at the red monster. "Understood. So…where is it you're all heading?"

"To the coast. Or as near to it as possible." Bernard paused to take a hunk of cooked rodent from the fire. "With the weather getting so warm, it will be a nice place to spend the summer."

"Excellent! This should be fun!" Naomi clapped her hands. "There are five of us! Now, when do we get out of this ghastly swamp?"

"In a few days, Naomi. Just walk through the mud and be patient."

Naomi pouted in distaste.

…

Becca evidently was fed up with this meeting. She pulled the quiet Suzie aside, beyond the bright glow of the campfire, to talk in whispering voices. Now it was obvious the two were related; side by side, the resemblance was clear.

Bernard and Naomi began asking questions about the bayou and how he had survived here. Luckily, neither one asked why he was banished in the first place. That was fine; there was time to think up a good story.

_There is no way I can admit to the scream extractor. Like that'll ever gain anybody's trust…_

Bernard began explaining plans for the upcoming summer. Privately, Randall didn't think it was such a good idea. Coastal regions were _littered_ with people during the summer months. But he said nothing. It would be interesting to see how this would play out.

**In the next part, we'll learn more of my gang of OCs, and the adventures will start! Please no mean comments. Thanks!**


	5. Into the City

**Whew! This ended up being longer then I thought it was going to be. Hopefully it's better then I think it is. Thank you so much for being nice to me in the review section! I don't handle critisim well, and really appreciate the possitivity. :)**

Chapter 4: Into the City

Earlier, Naomi and Becca had made a bet to see whether or not Suzie would wander off into the swamp—apparently she had a terrible sense of direction. Since Naomi had won, she was free to sleep all she wanted while Becca took over her shift for guard duty.

Randall was only guessing, but he was sure a normal routine was for everyone to take turns staying awake. keeping keep an eye out for wild animals, or worse. It made sense, but it really would have been easier if everyone took to the trees. Never before had he faced dangers while sleeping off the ground.

Nobody yet trusted him to take a shift. Bernard promptly forbad it. That was fine. At least he could get a good night's rest after this interesting evening. Up in a tree, he stretched out and got comfortable, coiling his tail around the branch. What a day! And he still needed to think up a believable banishment story. One without scream extractors or kidnapping human children…the more he brainstormed, the drowsier he became. Down in the campsite, the fire still crackled steadily. He heard the voice of Becca, who was passing the shotgun over to Suzie.

"Now, you keep a sharp lookout, alright? If the new guy wakes up, you know what to do. Keep him in line! Got it?"

"Got it."

"You can handle it, can't you?"

"Of course, I'll be fine! Now, you go get some sleep."

Randall was nearly asleep himself. Despite her age and small size, Suzie looked quite capable of handling a shotgun. It was baffling; how had she been banished so young? When he had been in his late teens, he was striving to become the best scarer of Monsters' University (which he eventually did), not fighting to stay alive in the wilderness.

If he was to be a part of this group, it wouldn't hurt to learn a little more about them. He resolved to start asking questions as soon as the opportunity arose.

…

By the time everybody was up and about, the sun was high enough to cut through the overhead canopy. It was still tinged a bright early-morning gold and was quite pleasant. Birds had begun twittering. If only the hisses from nearby snakes didn't ruin the beauty of it all. Naomi was jumping every minute. She also swatted at any bugs that flew too close for her liking.

"Ugh. I_ hate_ this place!" she complained as the other monsters gathered around the flameless campfire. "The sooner we leave the better."

"Think of it as camping. Permanently." Said Becca sleepily.

"The only camping trip I was on was with my sorority sisters, and we had a proper roof, _real_ food, and working bathrooms! With toilets and mirrors and everything!"

"That's enough, girls," yawned Bernard, stretching his back. "It's too early for this. Let's eat and take a vote about the city plans. We'll be coming up to it in a few days and we can't put it off any longer."

Breakfast was a collection of edible roots and leftovers from dinner last night; nothing terribly appetizing.

…

Randall imagined all the delicious things he could prepare if only he had the ingredients. Even simple things like toast with jam, cereal, and fruit juice; there wasn't anything like _that_ out here! It was obvious Naomi Jackson had yet to adjust to eating what you had instead of what you wanted. She wrinkled her nose in distaste, but ate anyway.

The whole gang was circled around the campfire. Randall sat back by a fraction; he was still an outsider, after all, and decided to play it safe. Becca was carried the shotgun around, Bernard remained suspicious, and Suzie had not even spoken to him yet. Naomi seemed to trust him far more, since he was a familiar sight from school. At least that was a start.

…

"Alright, let's get underway. You, Randall, feel free to make suggestions if you like." Bernard began the meeting. "The city is the only thing standing between us and one final stretch to the coast. Whatever we decide, it will take place after dark. My hope is that we can simply go around it by the long way; less dangerous, less chance of running into humans. Naomi, didn't you agree?"

"Well…I _did…_But it'll take us another week of travel! I want to go straight through the city by the fastest way. It's been so long since any of us stepped foot in civilization."

"I say we go along the river," chimed in Becca. "There are lots of bridges to hide under, and we can stay hidden on the banks."

"Oh, no. You're not having me plod through the mud again!" Naomi fumed, her three eyes glowing red.

"Enough." Bernard sighed, lest an argument start. "What about you, Suzie?"

"…The river seems like the smartest way. It's not as fast as the direct path, but not too long, either."

"Good point, good point…" Bernard scratched his feather crest. "What about you, New Guy? What do you want to do?"

…

So, he was 'the New Guy?' Randall frowned. That was it! He was just going to have to _prove_ his worth! Surely there were things he could be useful for! A master of stealth would be just the thing for the upcoming scheme.

Without hesitation, he blended away into thin air. The strangers' reactions were just as he had hoped.

Bernard flinched and his feathers popped up in astonishment. The aquatic-reptilian hybrids both yelped loudly. Even Naomi jumped, though not as dramatically. The looks on their faces were priceless! Randall smiled in his invisible state.

…

"Ha ha! I remember that trick!" Naomi clapped her hands. "You were top of the class because of it, right? What's creepier then a sneak attack scare?"

"Well, getting through the city will be easy for _you_," Bernard commented as Randall reappeared.

"Supply raids are easy, too. I can steal just about anything: tools, matches, ammo, things like that. If you guys ever get low on something, I can get more."

There. That should prove he would come in handy. "But moving on, I think the river is the best choice."

"Looks like it's settled, then. The river it is," said Bernard. "We leave right after breakfast. We'll make a pit stop at your camp before heading off, though. I'd like to see that bow and arrow project of yours."

…

The tents were soon dismantled, folded up, and packed. Everyone carried their own knapsack of supplies, and their own weapon. Naomi only had a small kitchen knife, while the others all had some sort of firearm. The PNK woman stubbornly refused to even touch one, saying they were 'cruel tools of death.' The only things left of the campsite were a few charred pieces of wood, and the two wooden pallets, abandoned in the swamp. No one would ever know that monsters had been here.

At Randall's tree, he gathered a backpack of whittled bowls and cups, knives, twine, fishing nets, a string of tin cans, the shard of mirror, and his precious slingshot. The attempted bow and arrow set was also taken; maybe he would figure out a way to make it work during the journey. As an afterthought, he took a few packets of seeds to plant. If he was going to settle elsewhere for the season, it never hurt to be prepared.

_So long, tree! Hope I never see you again_. He thought, saying goodbye to his secluded home.

…

For the next two days, the travelers stayed in the bayou, moving south. There were a couple of alligator encounters, but they were dealt with easily. Randall discovered just how good a shot Becca was with a gun; she only had to kill one gator, but it was an instant kill. Another incident was handled by Bernard. It was evident he had a bad back, but his fists worked just fine. The smaller gators he could punch off, but it left him quite winded afterwards. Naomi felt that fighting was beneath her and didn't seem to understand it was necessary out here. Whenever a swamp creature burst forth from the water—weather it be a frog or gecko—she dashed off to safety in the opposite direction. Randall hadn't had a chance to see how Suzie handled herself in these wetlands. She mostly kept to herself and seldom spoke to anyone but Becca.

Nobody had said much to Randall during these last two days. Just as he was observing them, they were doing the same thing to him.

The defeated alligator ended up as the group's dinner, so there was no need to hunt. Damn it! He could've shown off his hunting skills, the ones that involved biting a gator to death with only a knife and his own teeth! Instead he infiltrated a trailer park to steal some ammunition. The feat had impressed Suzie and Bernard, but the others still needed convincing.

How frustrating! Here he was, trying to be useful, and he didn't even get a 'thank you' for the ammunition! This was going to be tough.

…

By late afternoon, the edge of a city could be spotted if someone climbed high enough in the trees.

They had set up a quick campsite to rest for a couple of hours before the mission. Becca promptly ordered the 'New Guy' to climb up and see how much farther they had to walk.

"Not far," Randall reported when he climbed down. "Twenty minute walk at the most."

"Good. Let's wait until midnight, at least. You'd be surprised how many people wander the streets after dark."

"You've gone into cities before?"

"A few times; only got the nerve in the last couple years. It's not exactly fun, you know."

"So, how long have you been here, then?" Randall brought up as casually as he could. Out of all these strangers, Becca was the least likely to strike up a conversation.

She sighed as they strolled back into the campsite. "Four years, now. Suzie and I were thrown through a door into northern Canada. In the middle of winter, no less! Who does that? It was worse than a nightmare."

"Then you two _are_ related, then?"

"Yes, if you must know, Boggs. She's my sister…don't ask us why we were banished!" she snapped, sensing he was just about to. "Help us get through the city, and_ maybe_ I'll tell you then."

…

Randall grumbled, irritated by her stubbornness.

He joined the others by the tiny fire to eat a well-deserved dinner after today's long hike. They would all need some sleep before midnight, as well. The city did not seem to be a massive metropolis; it was more like a very large town. The tallest buildings were only three stories high. Nonetheless, no one was a hundred percent sure if all five of them would make it through unscathed.

Well, _he _would make it through just fine. His powers sure came in handy for stuff like this.

…

The first step of the plan was getting down to the river itself. After that, it would be smooth sailing.

The group gathered at the end of a residential street, keeping in the shadows. Trinkets and tools dangling from the knapsacks jingled, so right away they were secured more tightly. It was vital the group stay as quiet as possible.

Bernard pulled their heads together. "The river isn't that far; look, you can almost see it from here!"

"Great, let's go," Naomi smiled and stepped nonchalantly onto the sidewalk.

"Hold it, missy," Bernard pulled her back. "In case something happens while we're here, we meet on the other side of the city. Just follow the river and meet on the bank, where the swampland begins again."

"What could possibly happen on a single street? Let's go, already!"

By night, the Human World was far more foreboding. Dark shadows wrapped around every corner and street lamps cast eerie glows over the pavement. The buildings here had an older look about them, with the beginnings of spring and summer plants growing in their gardens. No lights shone from the windows, which was a good sign. Most people should be asleep in their beds right now.

If a monster was banished, there were really no laws to live by anymore. You were free to do whatever you wanted, basically, but the number one law that no one would_ ever_ break was this: do not make anyone aware of the Monster World. That would only lead to trouble on both sides of the closet doors. Scaring little kids seemed to be the only exception to the rule.

Randall took a quick glance at the black sky. No moon tonight. Good. That would help things move along faster. He scurried on all eights to catch up.

None of them spoke. It was like a spy mission, the way they crept from shadow to shadow, ducking behind parked cars and mailboxes. Bernard's short legs slowed him down, so he hid between various houses instead. Bright red was such an easy color to spot, even in the dead of night. The older monster silently ushered the group ahead. He would meet them at the river itself.

Randall was finding this all too simple. He shifted into whatever surface he happened to be touching. Even while wearing a backpack, it was difficult to spot him.

"Stop," Suzie whispered. She pulled everyone into the shadow of a car. "I saw a guy staring out a window. Up there, second floor. Naomi, get down!'

Naomi begrudgingly squatted beside her. "What's the big deal? It's dark out!"

Randall crouched as well, not wanting to get separated. He glimpsed Bernard's red form peeking out from an alley nearby. It had just occurred to him that Naomi could easily don a disguise and pass off as a human. Maybe he should bring the idea up later…for now, she was talking so loudly that the group was sure to be spotted!

"Hey," he hissed at her. "Save it for later!"

Naomi pouted and said nothing after that.

Bernard managed to catch up a few minutes later. "Whew! How nerve-racking! Are we all here?" He counted heads once they were safely down the slope of the riverbank. By staying low, they had all made it down the street without trouble; even with Naomi's chatter.

Chirping crickets were louder down here, and the ground was soft and wet with moss and water. This river was quite wide; on the opposite bank, more buildings and houses rose into the black sky. Bernard squinted at them with concern. "It would be suicide trying to sneak through all that! C'mon. There are a few miles to go before we're out of this."

"A few miles, still?" Naomi crossed her arms. "Will we have solid ground to walk on by the end?"

"Just _walk_, Princess," Becca snapped. "And keep your voice down. If you get us caught, I swear I'll throw you back into Arizona myself!"

They began marching along the river, traversing logs, tall grasses and keeping a sharp watch for alligators. Very likely some of the reptiles would swim downstream, and nobody wanted to use the firearms here. All they could do was keep their fingers crossed and hope the trek would be uneventful.

…

Randall didn't mind wading through the banks. In a weird way, he almost _hoped_ a gator would magically appear. If the strangers saw how well he handled himself in the wilderness, there was a guaranteed, permanent spot within the group. He'd show them all!

There was a slight fear of being abandoned if he didn't. Spending the rest of his life in solitude was no wish of his.

They were walking single-file and moving far too slow for his liking. At this rate, it would be dawn by the time the city came to an end!

…

Suzie suddenly slipped off her backpack and tossed it to him. "Hold this for a second. I need a bit of water," She waded out a pace or two and ducked under. Last to disappear were her fin-tipped feelers. When she surfaced, her forest-green face looked instantly hydrated; Randall guessed it had something to do with the aquatic half of her.

"Me too," Becca gave her pack to Naomi and followed her sister.

Bernard warned them, "Hurry up, girls, we shouldn't be wasting time. And Randall, don't fall so far behind."

Randall moved up. In the darkness, he squinted, and saw an angry Naomi fiddling with the weapon holster on Becca's knapsack. "Um…do you know what you're doing?"

"_Yes_."

"You sure? Firearms really don't seem to be your thing."

"If I have to walk in these gator-infested waters, fine, but there's no way I am going to get attacked by one! If Becca insists I learn how to use a pistol, I will. I'm not totally hopeless out here." Naomi pulled one of the pistols free. "Besides, how hard can it be to pull a trigg—"

BANG!

A shot was fired into the air, loud enough to wake the district. Randall was aware of barking dogs and people switching their lights on in the closest houses. With panic, he realized the group had ventured deep into a densely populated area. A few human voices called out into the night, shouting concerns to their neighbors. Worse still, doors slammed as they meandered outside to investigate.

"Naomi, you nitwit! Give me that!" Becca snatched the pistol from her. "Shooting lessons later! Not here, and not now!"

"_Hush!"_ Bernard ordered quietly. "They're coming! Naomi, with me, Randall you go with the others. Scatter! Meet where we discussed!"

Suzie and Becca retrieved their knapsacks, and in a flash, the party split up.

…

Randall followed the sisters downstream a little ways, until they ran back amongst the houses and slipped into an alley. Both of the monsters breathed heavily with nerves; Suzie was looking very scared, but Becca positively fumed! Thanks to Naomi, humans could spot them any second! If _that_ happened, it was straight to a science lab for dissection and putting the whole Monster World at risk.

"Curse that girl! I hope a gator eats her!"

Human footsteps grew louder and closer every second. It sounded as if the dogs had been let loose.

Randall, who was tense, but more or less focused on their dilemma, grabbed a hand of either sister and made a run for it, going deeper into the city. Hiding may be a cinch for someone like him, but for the others, not as much.

"Never mind Naomi. We'll tear her to pieces later," Randall panted. "C'mon, we have to hide. Now!"

**OK, NEXT part we learn more about my OCs. Promise!**


	6. Backstories

**I am such a slow writer, but I worked REALLY hard on this chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Backstories

No matter where they ran, there was always something to block the path: a dead end, an open intersection, a car driving by, (who'd be driving around at this hour?) or a bunch of partying humans sauntering down the sidewalk.

The monsters dove into the nearest shadows for safety. Once the dangers passed, they emerged and kept on running. The commotion was growing steadily close, it seemed. Every passing second was an opportunity to get caught by curious people; it was vital to get away at all costs! No one was speaking, saving their breath for running. Randall dragged the others through as many twists and turns as possible. After a while, the houses all started looking identical. Every backyard was the same; all the parked cars were the same model. Perhaps it had something to do with their panic.

No one had a clue where the river was now. The cricket songs had long since faded. Wherever had Bernard and Naomi gone?

"Where's the river? Where is it?" Becca hissed as Randall dragged them into another alley.

"How should I know?" Randall panted. He poked his head out to peer down the foreign street. The neighborhood was merging into a shop-filled area of town. Across the street were a music store, a laundromat, and a second-hand book shop. Randall noticed more parking lots were appearing the deeper they went into town. But the one landmark needed was nowhere in sight. The only relief was that the startled, awakened humans were far behind.

"I think we're safe," he slumped against the brick building wall to rest. "OK, let's focus. Anyone know which way to go?"

All three of them poked their heads out from the alley, as if expecting their destination to find them.

The calls of the awakened humans were extremely distant; next to impossible to hear, actually. It was a good sign, yes, but not much comfort. The street lights gave everything an eerie, yellowish glow. It was an uninviting thing in this strange place, where being spotted meant certain death. Getting killed was a very real possibility.

"Oh, this is bad…bad, bad," Suzie shivered with nerves. "What do we do, Becca?"

"Keep moving, of course." Becca pulled her sister to her feet, ready to take charge. "The longer we stay in one spot, the more likely we'll be discovered. And I think it'd be best to get out of this place_ before_ sunrise. Don't you agree, Boggs?"

Randall scowled at her.

Suzie pushed back her feelers. "Which way, then? You know me, I get lost even_ with_ a map!"

"Just—give me a minute." Becca hurried to the other end of the alley to look around. She hoped to have some sense of direction, but the run had confused them all.

"Great. We're lost!" Suzie panicked. "Lost in a human city! Without Bernard and Naomi…they're probably caught already! Let's just turn ourselves in, or take the easy way out and jump in front of the next car that drives by."

"Get ahold of yourself; Geez…you're as bad as Naomi sometimes." Becca whispered loudly. "This can't be _that_ big of a problem!"

…

Randall had calmed down and was leaning against the brick. Both sets of arms were crossed; he often did that while in thought, or when bored. In this case, it was the former. The sisters began arguing about what to do. He watched with interest to see if they could come up with an agreement, but no solution was met.

Really, getting out of this city was easy. Why didn't they see it?

He spit out the answer plainly. "Just get to higher ground."

Becca and Suzie froze and looked at him blankly.

Randall groaned. "Do I have to explain? It's kind of obvious-C'mon, start climbing. We'll get our bearings from up there."

He pointed up towards the roof, and at once began scaling the brick building. Becca and Suzie were part reptilian; surely they had some natural climbing skills. They tried, but their hands and feet didn't have quite enough gecko-like qualities. The highest they could go was only ten feet before sliding back to the pavement.

…

_Honestly, why am I surrounded by incompetence?_ Randall rolled his eyes after he slinked onto the roof.

This group of monsters was beginning to drive him insane! Naomi's pampered, vain personality would be impossible to deal with out here. Becca's bossiness had been getting on his nerves since the beginning. Suzie was only a teenager, and he was noticing the girl relied on her sister for everything. His observations of the past few days were evident of that. Bernard may be the most tolerable, but his idea of spending the warm seasons at a sure-to-be-crowded coast was ludicrous!

…Likely this gang of misfits was the only company he would ever have.

_May as well go along with it, I guess…_ He thought, remembering his lonely year in the bayous.

He stood tall on the roof and looked about. The river couldn't be that far…

Many of the buildings had flat rooftops, and were spread out in such a way that he was able to see pretty far. In the distance, he could just glimpse a long body of water—a bit blurred, but there it was. It shouldn't take long to reach it. At the end of the street below were an intersection, and a park with a playground beyond. Randall studied all the surroundings, and was positive that heading through the park would be the fastest route. If they got lost again, there was sure to be a street sign or something to guide them.

…

"_Suzanne_, what the hell are you doing?" He heard Becca scold as he climbed down to the pavement.

"Dumpster diving, what does it look like?" The girl's voice echoed metallically. She was out of sight in a dumpster occupying the alley, tossing out trash as she dug around in search of who-knows-what. "There could be something useful in here."

Randall was about to join in the scolding and tell her to hurry up, but Becca was doing plenty of that. They had no time for this! Bernard and Naomi needed to be found! Maybe he _would_ be better off without all these monsters…he certainly would get more things done, and wouldn't have to put up with all of this dawdling.

"OK, ready," Suzie's face popped up and she leapt out, holding a few rectangular objects. "Had a feeling there'd be books in there. See, there's a bookstore right across the street!"

"Suzie, you know we should only take what we need—"

"_I _need these!" she clutched the old, battered volumes tighter. "Besides, there's enough room in my backpack."

"Finished?" Randall asked impatiently. "We have to cut through a park, and go a couple of blocks to reach the river. Let's go!"

…

The trio had no mishaps while crossing the intersection. Just like before, they kept to the shadows and crept from hiding spot to hiding spot. A car did drive by, but by then, they were safe in the little park. The well-groomed bushes and trees were more than enough coverage. Familiar cricket songs rang out once again. Something about the insects made the monsters relax; this whole night had been nothing but one big stressful disaster.

Keeping off the gravel paths, Becca led the way. She held a kitchen knife upright in her hand as a precaution.

Randall noticed Suzie flipping through one of the dumpster books as she walked. "So, you're a reader, are you?"

"Yes. This one's pretty beat up, and the cover's falling off the other one. Guess the bookstore wasn't able to sell them…I wish we could break into a library, but Bernard won't let me. That's one thing I really miss from Monstropolis."

Randall saw this as a chance to learn about her banishment. "How did you end up out here, anyway? I doubt you've even finished high school."

"That's true, actually. I was fifteen when I was tossed into Canada with my sister. Not a fun winter, that was."

"But _why _were you banished?"

Suzie turned to face him, confused. "_I_ wasn't banished. Only Becca was; I'm here by choice. Hasn't she told you yet?"

"The authorities _let_ you come out here? Is that even legal?"

"No one even batted an eyelid." Suzie then picked up the pace. "Sorry, Mr. Boggs, but Becca told me not to talk to you. She said she'd shoot you, otherwise."

Randall rolled his eyes. _No surprises there. When we get out of this place, I swear I'm getting these guys to talk…I'd better think up my own story, too…almost forgot._

…

By the time the river was in full view, Randall had a believable story ready for when the group was back together.

There was only one more obstacle to face before reaching the banks. A gang of humans were hanging out in a parking lot straight ahead. They sat on the hoods of their cars, talking and laughing so loudly the words practically came out in shouts. Shattered beer bottles seemed to be scattered around. If this gang was in a slightly drunken state, maybe sneaking past wouldn't be so difficult.

Becca and Suzie ducked behind a sidewalk bench to observe the scene. Randall blended into the mailbox beside them.

"Is there any way around?" Suzie wondered.

"Only if we take an extra-long route," Becca sighed. "There're too many of them; someone is bound to see us—Boggs, what are you doing?"

Randall had taken out his slingshot and was aiming carefully. "You _do_ realize I have a first name? Listen, I can distract these guys while you two sneak past. Better go one at a time, though. Just in case."

Becca looked wary; dash by all these people with only a few benches for cover? It was almost too risky.

"Do you have another idea, or would you rather waste more time wandering the streets?"

"…well…OK, fine. I'll go first. But you listen to me," Becca pointed at Suzie. "You better keep her safe, or else."

Randall nodded once. He then aimed at a cluster of beer bottles lined up on a car roof. "Ready?"

Becca stayed low and scurried off the moment Randall let the stone fly. It was a perfect distraction. The slingshot was powerful enough to smash more than one glass bottle. Several of the humans leapt back in alarm. Some cried out in a slurred sort of way. Everyone's head was turned only for a second, but that was just enough time for Becca to get past. She made it to the other end of the parking lot and plunged into the tall grass of the riverbank. The sloping ground took her out of sight completely. The party-goers never suspected a thing.

Randall repeated the process for Suzie. The first shot didn't hit its mark, but by firing two more stones in quick succession, enough glass was broken to really make the gang nervous. All of them jumped from the car hoods to stare at the mess.

Randall made a break for the banks as well. He kept blending into the pavement, and by running between Suzie and the humans' line of sight, he kept her well-hidden. The two of them slipped amongst the grass and let out the breath they had been holding.

"Made it! No more city!" Suzie danced for joy. Water splashed at her ankles as she skipped around.

"Shh!" Becca appeared. "Suzie, let's get further downstream before celebrating. Are you alright?"

"'Course! Do you think I can't run across a parking lot? Randall, that trick of yours really comes in handy. Wish things were that easy for the rest of us."

Randall tripped into a muddy patch as he joined them. "Are we going to get moving, or what?"

"Right. Bernard and Naomi could've made it to the end of the river by now!"

…

Becca took the lead once again as they resumed travelling. With crickets filling the silence, the trio was beginning to feel more at ease. None of them spoke, for this was turning out to be a very long night. With all this walking, sneaking, sprinting, climbing, and splashing through gator-infested waters, they were getting very worn out.

Randall practically dozed off as he pushed on through the tall grass. He noticed that the sisters were becoming fatigued as well. Each footstep was heavier than the last. It would be no surprise if someone fell asleep while hiking, including him.

…

The next hour of wading was a sleepy one. No one wanted to move anymore; they were just too tired. Suzie had had enough of this.

"Please, can we stop, Becca? I swear I'm gonna pass out in the next ten seconds."

Becca faltered and almost agreed, but Randall advised, "No. We're almost out of the city. Look," he pointed straight ahead at the far off wetland wilderness. The buildings and blinking lights finally came to an end over there. "That's where Bernard and Naomi should be. Then we can rest."

Becca was too exhausted to argue. She merely nodded as they all tried to quicken the pace.

…

Not until the sky had begun to brighten did they find a place to rest.

Back in swamp territory, there was one particular tree standing far enough away from the river banks, yet close enough to keep the city in sight. The lights of the buildings glowed far dimmer now. They shone in a tidy little row and posed no threat anymore. The monsters were glad to be away from them.

They decided to risk lighting a campfire; Bernard and Naomi had yet to show up and would need some hint as to where to go. Randall and the sisters had snoozed lightly, had a drink of water and a quick snack of foraged mushrooms. All kept a close watch for the missing members of the group. With the sky tinted navy blue from the rising sun, it wouldn't be long until they would be forced to leave. They city would come alive soon, and a great many boats may come this way along the river. The vast, empty marshlands had never looked more inviting.

"Ugh. I hate this waiting," Becca paced slowly, staring out towards the water. "We don't even know if they got away from that commotion."

"Bernard's never been caught before," Suzie said, looking up from her new book. "He'll get here, with Naomi. Remember, he can't go very fast with those short legs of his."

"But she'll screw things up again, no doubt! That's what is so worrying."

…

Sitting on a moss-covered boulder, Randall kept himself occupied by whittling a mug out of a piece of wood. The sisters had been making small-talk for the past while and he was getting tired of it. There were more important things he wanted to discover.

Now seemed like an impeccable time to learn a few things about his travelling companions.

…

He did not look up as he spoke. "Now that we're safe, it's time you both gave me some answers. I want to know why you're exiled. You said you'd tell me if I helped in getting through the city."

Becca put her hands on her hips. "I said 'maybe' I'd tell you, Boggs."

"Why not tell me? I'm a part of your group, like it or not."

The royal blue monster rubbed the fins on her head in a thoughtful manner, still not sure if Randall could be trusted. There was still something about him she didn't like.

Suzie put down her book. "Becca was a scaring coach at Fear Co. I'm sure you've heard of it."

"Suzie!"

"Well, it's true! Let's just tell him already," Suzie ignored her sister's protest. "Basically, her job was to train the new scarers who got hired, and give tips and pointers, and sometimes tests to the more experienced ones. She loved the job."

"I did not—" Becca started.

"Sure you did! Admit it; you _adored_ being in charge of all those big, scary guys, bossing everyone around, and being called 'Miss McKeen.' No other coach worked harder."

"So, what happened?" asked Randall.

"I came up with a more accurate way to test the employees' abilities," Becca leaned against a tree, still looking out at the river for signs of life. "Instead of using a simulator, why not use a real door? There's no telling how an actual kid will react to a monster's presence, so I set up the test using the real closets. The recruits did their tests just fine, but turns out it's illegal using doors unauthorized."

"You never cleared your idea with anyone?"

"I was the Chief Scare Coach and Instructor! I didn't think anyone would mind."

"Obviously the head of Fear Co. did," said Suzie. "He took Becca to court and got the CDA involved and everything. This was four years ago; I was only fifteen when it all happened. Becca was my legal guardian, and when they told me she was facing banishment, I convinced the authorities to let me go, too."

"Why would you do that?" For someone to willingly give up their life in the Monster World on the spot, just like that, was hard to even comprehend.

"Simple. I didn't want to _never_ see her again. The authorities seemed to understand that, so they let me go. It was still tough, though. I never even got to finish the tenth grade!" Suzie gazed down at the dumpster-rescued book on her lap. It appeared to be a science fiction novel, worn out with age. "I planned on majoring in Literature after high school. Maybe become a teacher…not gonna happen now…so, Randall, what about you?"

This was it. Time to see if his made-up story was as believable as it sounded in his head. He put on the most regretful expression he could muster. Acting had never exactly been his strong suit; hopefully it worked. "Stealing scream energy."

It was hard to tell whether the sisters bought it or not. Suzie's face was a tiny bit surprised, but Becca remained neutral.

"Power had been cut from my house for over a week. I was desperate for some electricity, so I took a couple canisters home and hooked them up. Worked great! But a couple of can wranglers at work turned me in. Most humiliating experience of my life."

There. That was a plausible tale. With luck, the group would not ask for any details.

"You know how to hook up a scream canister? Nice," Suzie admired. "Were you an engineer or something?"

"Scarer at Monsters, Inc."

"I wondered it that was your job, the way Naomi went on about university days…"

For a while, Randall chatted with Suzie about the Monster World, discussing what they missed most about it. Ordinary subjects were brought up, such as what a typical day used to look like, either at school or work. She did not ask further about his 'banishment.' Neither did Becca. They seemed to have accepted it without any suspicions, which was just what Randall had hoped.

When a lighter tone of blue seeped into the sky, Becca called out across the soggy swamp, "There they are! Bernard! Naomi, over here!" She jumped up and down and waved her arms. The crack-of-dawn light reflected off of her gold-speckled scales, and was an easy target for them.

Bernard huffed and puffed into the campsite. He was limping slightly and dripping wet with some of his feather crest sticking out at weird angles. A huge sigh of relief escaped him upon seeing the fire. Behind him trudged Naomi, also soaked and looking very miserable.

"At last," Bernard squatted by the fire. "You three would not believe the trouble we had."

"He made me jump off a bridge!" Naomi collapsed flat on her back, pointing at Bernard.

"Yes. After we all scattered, we backtracked upstream and went across a bridge to the opposite bank. For a while it seemed safe enough."

"But_ then_ we were chased a dozen blocks by crazy dogs, had to run across _another _bridge, but ended up leaping off all because of a couple of people walking in our direction!" Naomi ringed out her purple hair. "Swimming all that way through these waters is_ not_ my idea of fun, Bernard."

"Young lady, you're the reason we all split up in the first place. You're not going _near_ the firearms for a while, not after tonight's fiasco!" Bernard sighed and looked at the others. "So, what happened with you three?"

Becca, Suzie and Randall took turns retelling their ordeal, including the fake backstory of Randall. When they finished, Bernard began going into greater detail of his own trek through the city. Naomi was far too grumpy to add anything; instead, she nibbled on the mushrooms that had been left over. By the look on her face, fungi were far from being her favorite food.

Bernard ate as he spoke. The huge angler-fish teeth sticking out from his mouth were perfect for catching food when he tossed it up into the air. A couple of large mushrooms were swallowed whole.

"So, you worked at Monsters, Inc.?" Bernard remarked to Randall while picking his teeth. "That makes three of you who worked at scare companies. Seems to be the most common place to work prior to getting kicked out."

"And you didn't?" asked Randall.

"Nope. My turn to give a reason for being here, now that everyone else has told their story," Bernard swallowed one last bite before going on. "I was a commercial fisherman in the Monster World. Started my own small company with my son and caught for the local market in town."

"I didn't know that_ anyone_ could be tried for banishment. I thought it was only factory workers." Randall was truly startled.

"Oh, I didn't know that, either. But one summer I sold tainted fish to the market. A bunch of monsters ended up in hospital; it ended up being more serious than I thought. Luckily no one died... but the fish was traced back to me, and I was blamed for the outbreak."

"So they threw you out here?" Randall summed up.

Bernard nodded. "Twelve years ago. Becca and Suzie were the first ones I met. Then Naomi came along…it's never easy, living out here. We have to stay on our guard all the time."

…

Randall suddenly remembered Becca's ranting words from a few days ago, when he came out from the trees to meet her and Naomi: "_Last time we dropped our guard, someone died! We swore it wouldn't happen again!"_

The memory made him wonder just how many trials this group had faced, wandering the country just trying to stay alive. He doubted it would be a safe subject to ask about. Although the group seemed to have accepted him, it was still too soon. A subject like that was sure to be touchy.

Best play it safe for now. Randall was in the group for sure, and certainly didn't want to be kicked out, left to fend for himself again.

…

The clouds up above had turned pink with new sunlight. Birds were welcoming the day with their songs and many of the stars had vanished by now. Moss-draped trees overhead made the sun hard to see, but its light brightened up the swamp enough to bring the monsters back to reality.

It was time to get going.

"Next stop, the coast!" Bernard sounded excited as everyone's supplies were packed up. "Finally, saltwater fish will be on the menu, soon!"

Becca, Suzie and Naomi all shared his enthusiasm. With beaches, plenty of food to catch, and warm weather, everyone seemed to think this was going to be an easy summer.

Randall wasn't so sure. Humans loved to spend the warm seasons by the coast…he had a nagging feeling the upcoming summer would be just as tough as the rest of the year.

Oh well. No matter what happened, it would be more fun than living alone in these swamps. He shouldered his backpack and tagged along after the group.

**Ta da! Chapter done! Hopefully my monsters have interesting enough stories behind them. I do plan on developing their characters, including Naomi, but not till much later in the story. Hope you liked this part. :)**


	7. The Beach

**Guess who conquered a minor case of writer's block? :)**

Chapter 6: The Beach

Randall crouched low and blended into the grass. Large, long-legged water birds—either cranes or herons, he wasn't sure—stood innocently just ahead. The gathering was small; Randall picked out the biggest one. It would surely feed all five monsters. And he could use its feathers to decorate his arrows.

Finally, Randall had fashioned a workable bow. Lots of experimenting had had to be done, and also several raids into human homes to gather proper materials. The bow was simple, made of wood and a bit crude-looking, but it was effective.

He carried a few arrows in his lower set of hands and fitted one to the string. When it came to these larger birds, the double-barrel slingshot was no good. These new weapons were better for taking them down. He held his breath and took aim.

Some of the birds perked their long-beaked heads up. How could they _possibly_ hear him? He hadn't made a sound!

He fired and made a quick kill. The rest of the flock flew off in a panic. Water was sent spraying everywhere.

Randall smiled with satisfaction. There was such diversity when it came to birds near this beach. Hunting was so much easier out here then deep in the swamps. He shouldered the bird to carry back to camp.

…

It had been three weeks since the group arrived at the coast. A secluded stretch of beach had been discovered and it was relatively free of humans—for now.

The land was a tad on the swampy side, though not as much as before. Fewer trees grew around here, which was a bit worrying. So far the monsters had been lucky.

Wildlife differed from the swamps left behind; here, less dangerous animals made for satisfying dinners. More wildflowers were scattered around, and lots of wasps to go along with them. The streams and rivers inland bore fewer alligators. Animals such as badgers and raccoons were good opportunities for hunting. At night, nocturnal things like owls and bats could be heard by whoever's turn it was to keep watch over the campsite. Throughout this entire wilderness were lots of edible plants and fresh water to drink. If the monsters _did _decide to stay here all summer, there was little chance of starving to death.

It was kind of nice, being right by the beach. Many warm afternoons had been spent playing in the waves, just for the fun of it. Naomi preferred to relax on the sand to work on her suntan, but Bernard, Becca and Suzie were all natural swimmers. As risky as it was living so out in the open, Randall had actually been enjoying these last three weeks.

The monsters had made a camp amongst the tall, wild grass near the trees, with the beach and ocean in sight. The bedsheet tents were a little worse for wear; pretty soon it would be time to raid a house for new ones. The whole place rested atop a slight hill. High enough to see for quite a ways down the sand dunes, and keep a lookout for any fisherman or beach-goers that came this way.

It was to the campsite Randall returned, carrying the dead water bird over his shoulder.

Becca was patrolling along some driftwood logs. A whistle hung from her neck, the perfect alarm in case any unwanted visitors were spotted. The sound carried all the way down to the ocean, where Naomi, Bernard and Suzie could be glimpsed.

"Finally! 'Bout time you showed up, Randall!" Becca shouldered her shotgun upon seeing it was him.

"You're welcome," He sat down on the log to begin plucking feathers. "So, any sightings while I was gone? There were a couple of fishermen near here this morning."

"No, thank God. We've been lucky so far. So many of them are armed…one look at us, and they'll hang us in their trophy rooms!" She looked down at the soothing waves with a touch of worry. "Out of all places to end up, why'd it have to be Texas? _Everyone_ has a gun in Texas!"

…

Randall said nothing. _He_ had nothing to worry about. It was the others, the monsters who couldn't disappear at will who had it rough. Being so exposed, out here on this beach, made the problem even rougher. Nevertheless, he was doing his best at being a valuable addition to the group.

He had proved his strength and skill when it came to hunting, both with weapons and his bare hands. (The firearms were still off limits to him.) Until he showed up, supply raids had been very treacherous escapades; now, the group practically depended on him for stealing knives and ammo.

Every one of the group seemed to trust him more, even Becca. Nothing more had been said about their individual banishments. That was a relief. It was unlikely they would ever learn about how he had truly come to be here. How could they? There was no evidence to find. But just in case, he memorized his fake story, adding fine details to make it more legit.

It wouldn't hurt to be too careful; last thing he wanted was to be cast off alone again. It was nice having other monsters to talk to, even if they got on his nerves from time to time.

…

Becca's statement about everyone owning a gun in Texas reminded Randall of something he had been meaning to ask her.

"Hey, did you guys run into some sort of trouble before?"

"What do you mean?"

"Last time you 'let your guard down.' You mentioned that someone had died? Remember, when I first met you?"

"Oh, right…My stupid ranting back in the swamps…" Becca looked grave at the thought. She sighed heavily.

"Well?" he pressed.

"Mmm…_fine._ I'll tell you. But listen up, 'cause I don't enjoy talking about this." She maintained her guard position as she spoke. "It wasn't long after we found Naomi. The four of us were living in the hills of California at the time. Big mistake! Do you know _how many people_ live in that state? It was easy living at first. For food, all we really had to do was creep into people's gardens. We began to relax and not keep a lookout like we used to. 'Letting our guard down,' so to speak."

"So you were discovered?"

"Yeah…by a full-grown adult. Bernard caught him and we tried to swear him to secrecy, but the guy blathered on about contacting the FBI, whatever that is. By the way he vented on, I got the impression he meant a dissection lab."

Randall cringed.

"Anyway, the guy was insane. There was no way we could let him go. The Monster World could be in jeopardy if people knew about us…So I shot him."

Randall's squinting eyes popped open with shock. He knew Becca was a bit trigger-happy, but…"You killed him?"

She nodded. "It was either him, or every monster in existence. That's why we must _not_ let down our guard again." She hopped down off the log. "Enough of this. I don't want to talk about it."

…

So that was why Becca had been so paranoid at the beginning. Randall made a guess that if any sort of threat came to the group, she would dispose of it without a second thought. He being a monster had been the only thing that saved him.

…

"That sort of thing may happen again, you know, if we stay here." Randall brought up.

Becca looked at him questioningly. "Explain."

"Look around," He gestured down at the big open beach with its sandy turf and lack of trees. "Summer's barely begun. It won't be long until humans litter this place. There have been too many close calls already."

…

_Bingo._ That logical fact seemed to get to her, for she glanced sideways with a mildly thoughtful look.

…

"Think about it." Randall went on. "Texas is a pretty crowded state, too."

"…true. I suppose. Naomi won't want to hear that. She's taken to this place pretty well."

…

Becca wanted to remain in the campsite, so Randall was free to head down to the beach. Bernard was the one to talk to when it came to this sort of thing. The leader of the group usually had the final say when it came to decisions that would affect them all.

Randall passed Naomi lounging in the sun. Her red Scream Industries dress was very sandy, but she didn't seem to mind. Her purple skin had become quite suntanned in the last few weeks. "Ah…sun! We should stay here forever…" she mumbled to herself.

Finding a small shore crab, Randall tossed it by Naomi's clawed foot for a laugh. She shrieked in horror as he dashed away with a chuckle.

Bernard and Suzie were out on the water, diving beneath the waves and letting the currants push them around. Randall remembered Bernard mentioning a son back in Monstropolis. It was a topic the man had avoided thus far, but it was plain to see he had once been a parent. The way he played with Suzie in the waves was very fatherly, like watching a father play with his kid, laughing without a care in the world.

…

Randall called out for them to come to shore. Becca had already been convinced that leaving this beach was a smart option. Time for the rest of the gang…

…

"What's going on?" Suzie wringed water out of her feelers as he approached.

"Hey Bernard, was it your idea to travel to the coast in the first place?" Randall addressed him.

"Yes. And what of it?" Bernard was confused. "It's been the best idea in years."

"Uh huh. Becca and I were talking, and think you should reconsider…" he retold the earlier conversation."

As he explained all the growing worries and potential dangers, the gang slowly became more concerned. Maybe they had never even considered all these problems before.

Naomi hadn't moved from her sunny spot, but heard everything. "Wait, what?!" she bolted upright. "We're _leaving?!_ No, no, no! This beach is the best thing that's happened to me since I was banished!"

"Naomi—" Bernard rubbed his temple.

"There's sun, sand and heat; it's like being on vacation! And we're all getting so nice and tanned! Why are we _leaving_?" She ran over for an explanation.

Before anyone could speak, the whistle blew. They all gazed up at Becca's distant blue form, waving from atop the slope. She was giving the warning signal.

"Humans coming. Time to hide! Go!" Bernard ran with Suzie and Naomi across the sand, back to the high grass.

…

Randall went after, running on all eights, but a light bulb suddenly clicked in his head. _Wait. What am_ I_ running for?_ He stood up and promptly went invisible. That was easy.

The others would be huffing and puffing by the time they made it back to camp. _Now, if we lived somewhere safe, we wouldn't have to do all this running around!_

…

A human family came along the stretch of beach. They carried a picnic basket and lawn chairs with them, so it was obvious they'd be staying awhile. There were some toddler-aged children as well, who raced about and yelled a lot. If any of them ran up the wild slope and found the monsters' camp: that would most definitely _not_ be good. Luckily the parents kept an eye out and made sure the whole drove stayed on the beach.

Meanwhile, the monsters went into the trees a little ways to talk. The humans were still in earshot, so Randall climbed onto a low branch to keep an eye on them. He shifted into a brown, bark-like color and went on talking from this perch.

"So, you want us to move elsewhere, is that it?" Bernard began calmly.

"Yes! Why are we going over this again?"

"Because this will change the whole course of the summer!...I'll admit there is some risk staying here; I've never even lived_ near_ a coast in all the years I've been out here. Where exactly do you propose we go? And if it is anywhere dan—"

"Relax. Just hear me out." Randall looked down from the branch. "A forest is what I'm thinking of. Like a campground or a big state park; one where the humans have no hunting seasons. What are the chances being discovered in a place like that?"

Bernard crossed his arms with an authoritative stance. He said nothing, only frowned in deep thought.

"But I don't want to leave!" Naomi complained. "I say we stay."

"Hold it, hold it; before we get into a fight," said Bernard. "Let's think about this. Randall and Rebecca, you both brought up some good points…but this is a huge issue! First, a show of hands: all in favor of leaving?"

Randall and Becca raised a hand each.

"Staying?"

He himself and Naomi voted yes.

"OK, Suzie. The deciding vote is yours."

"Ugh. Hate being in the middle…" She leaned against a tree. No one said anything as she tried to make up her mind. "The majority rules, no matter what, right, Bernard?"

He nodded.

"Well…The beach is great. But…this _is _Texas. Most of the population has a gun…I don't think I want to take a chance."

Naomi slouched and pouted. Her eyes glowed red in frustration and she took a deep inhale to simmer down.

"It was nice while it lasted, Naomi. Look on the bright side," said Bernard. "Next decision: if we're leaving, where do we go? What does everyone think of the Hill Country? It isn't that far from here; a few days' hike, I should think."

"That's still in Texas," Becca pointed out, pulling out a weathered map of North America. "Let's just leave the state. That's easier then all this uncertainty. Look. If we keep following the coast, we'll head into Mexico."

"Or we could go north. Lots of those states are thick with forests." Bernard remembered. "I passed through Wyoming about eight years ago. There's enough wilderness that someone finding us will be very unlikely…the place isn't close, though."

"Not close?! It'll take weeks to get there!" Naomi protested.

"Yeah, let's try for someplace closer," agreed Suzie. "If we go north, we would have to go around the prairies."

The whole party groaned. More travelling, all for the sake of staying hidden and alive.

"Sure, we can get to Wyoming," Randall swung upside-down by his tail, quite unperturbed by all this. "We can cut _through_ the prairies to save time."

"That is not a good idea, Randall." Bernard advised. "Big, flat, open plains? On land like that, we'd be seen in an instant."

Becca and Suzie nodded as they studied the map. Naomi was pacing back and forth. "And you expect as to _walk_ all that way? I'd rather jump off a couple more bridges!"

Randall smirked mischievously. "Don't have to walk. We'll _drive_."

They all stared as if he had lost his mind.

**By the way, I don't know much about the U.S. States, so I apologize in advance if I ever get some facts wrong. I love things to be nice and accurate, so feel free to correct me if I write a mistake somewhere. This chapter isn't that exciting, but it's leading up to bigger and better things! Thank you for being patient, readers!**


	8. Car Thieves

**Hi! This part was fun to write. It starts off kinda serious, but is way more light-hearted towards the end.** **I threw in some jokes in an attempt to get a few laughs.**

Chapter 7: Car Thieves

"Steal a car? Are you insane?" said Becca. "Maybe you really did go stir-crazy back in the bayous."

"The police will catch us for sure." Bernard promptly dismissed the idea.

"Not if we play it smart," said Randall.

…

This spur of the moment scheme _would_ go his way; he was confident it would. Over the past few weeks on this beach, he was learning the best ways to manipulate these monsters into going along with his ideas. The trick was to use basic logic. This troop's main priority was to find safe places to live. Just by building on that one, single thing, Randall was sure he could talk the gang into anything.

Carefully chosen words were ready in his head. He kept hanging upside-down by his tail to relay them…

…

"If a car disappears in the dead of night, without witnesses, odds are it won't be reported missing until morning. That gives us plenty of time to drive for a while. By morning, we ditch the car, hide out for the day, and steal a different one the next night. Simple."

"Oh, boy…I've done some dicey things in the last decade, but that is just stupid." Bernard shook his head.

"So you _want_ to walk through the prairies? With a car, we'll save a ton of time."

"Not to mention energy!" Naomi folded her arms. "If we have to travel again, there's no way I'm marching across another few states!"

On the grass, Becca and Suzie were bent over the map, studying the northern United States sections. Both sisters looked a bit perplexed about something. Suzie turned to Bernard. "Where exactly are you thinking we should go, Bernard? Why Wyoming?"

"Well—" Bernard scratched his feathers. "Randall, when you mentioned a forest or a campground, I thought of one of the big national parks. There's a rather large one that spreads out over much of Wyoming."

"How big is it?" asked Randall.

"Big. Over two million acres. I think. I only passed through it once before. There are forests, campgrounds, rivers, hot springs, plenty of animals; no one will ever find us in there, if you're too worried about staying on this beach."

…

_Uh oh._ Did the man suspect something? Randall's wish to leave the beach was purely self-centered. He didn't like it here and was tired of keeping a constant lookout for humans. If he didn't yearn for other monsters to keep him company, he would've headed out into a forest on his own by now!

But that would mean losing his mind and start talking to himself again.

…

"There _would _be more shelter in a forest…" Becca bit her lip. "OK. I'm in, I guess. But stealing a car? There's no way I'll have a part in that. Too crazy."

Suzie, on the other hand, was enthusiastic. Such a dangerous scheme would give them some much needed excitement. "When are we doing it?"

"Hold it, girls, no one is becoming a car thief!" Bernard scolded. "Randall, it's your idea, so _you're _going to do the actual stealing."

"No problem."

"I trust you know how to hotwire a car?"

"I know my way around machines. Don't you think if I can figure out how to hook up scream canisters to my house, I know how to hotwire a car?"

"Don't backtalk to me, Boggs! There's already enough to worry about."

"Cut it out," Becca snapped. "_I'm_ the one with a short fuse around here. Let's just get this thing over with. When are we going out car shopping?"

"No time like the present." Randall swung down off the branch. "That town isn't far from here. We'll have a car by tonight."

…

The monsters packed up the entirety of the campsite and traversed along the coastline until nightfall. Naomi complained about her aching feet all the way. The others had gotten very skilled at ignoring her whining by now.

They picked a rural road as the meeting spot. There were plenty of leafy branches to hide amongst, and not too many houses. The plan was for Randall to sneak deeper into the town in search of a suitable vehicle. Suzie would be coming along, to serve as a lookout in case trouble arose. Randall planned on being invisible much of the time, and was confident he could act just fine on his own, but Bernard was insistent on someone going with him.

"Anything can happen, you know. Better safe than sorry." He had said. "For a plot like this, I think it's best to have a smaller party. Less chance of drawing attention. Be safe!"

Long after midnight, Randall set out with only a hand-fashioned screwdriver made from a piece of bone, and an ordinary kitchen knife. He slinked from garden fences to the undersides of porches, to any trees big enough to hide him. He was deep into the residential area now. All over the place were cars parked in their driveways, ripe for the picking. He darted underneath a couple of lawn chairs to survey the surroundings.

"Not so fast!" Suzie hissed from somewhere behind. She scrambled across the lawn to catch up. "Oh, I can't stand this. We're gonna get caught! It's inevitable! Why am I coming along?"

"You volunteered." Randall reminded. "Get down. We've got to figure out what to do."

"Can we steal something cool? Look, that car is gorgeous! We'd be travelling in style." Suzie ducked under a second lawn chair and pointed at a nearby driveway. On it stood a shiny, red, four door vehicle.

"Too conspicuous. Some cars are harder to hotwire then others. We need to find an older model, not to mention something big enough for Bernard to fit into along with the rest of us."

Suzie saw the logic. She let Randall lead the way into the next property. "Stop! There's a dog!"

Randall too, saw a large black dog sleeping on the house's porch. Of course, he had forgotten about running into peoples' noisy pets. He motioned for Suzie—who was shaking like a leaf—to follow him across the street. "Will you calm down?! This is the last time I'm going with you into a town. With your panicking, it's a wonder your gang hasn't been caught in the past!"

"I can keep a lookout while you work on the car. That's the only reason I'm here. Besides, Becca said I should 'practice_ not_ being a chicken' or something like that."

Randall saw a potential target after a good thorough search of the street. A large grey van, very beat-up looking, and in need of a good wash. It wasn't a pretty sight, but seemed perfect. Older models like this were less likely to have loud alarms, and were easier to break into.

"Who'd want to steal this piece of junk?" Suzie put her hands on her hips.

Randall stayed low an all eights to approach the van. "Just keep watch, kid. There could be more dogs hanging around. And warn me if any lights come on."

"Sure." Suzie retreated into the low bushes lining the driveway. From there, she could spy on the house. There appeared to be a doggy door on the front door, so she had a feeling some sort of canine would be alerted. "I officially hate dogs. They cause nothing but trouble."

…

Randall wasn't surprised to find the door locked. As a precaution, he melted away into an invisible state. The knife would suffice as a lockpick. If not, he could always break the lock by force.

The mood was tense when he got the door open. Any nanosecond a car alarm may go off—but none did. He let out the breath he had been holding.

The fabric seats inside were definitely aged. All were worn-out with loose threads. The inside of the vehicle needed a cleaning as badly as the outside. Crumbs and broken potato chips needed to be vacuumed up desperately. Oh well. This contraption would only be their ride for the rest of the night.

He climbed in and got to work unscrewing the steering column. The makeshift bone tool seemed strong enough.

…

Meanwhile, Suzie was pulling at her feelers, a habit when she was extremely jittery. The cricket songs did nothing to soothe her. "OK, don't panic, don't panic. No one's seen us yet." She muttered to herself. "Just focus and keep watch…Oh!"

Something soft and furry rubbed against her back. But it was only a cat, purring happily.

…

Randall finally removed the column. The rainbow tangle of wires did not phase him in the slightest. This was something he sort of knew how to do. During the scream extractor's construction, he had had to start it up via hotwiring when the power cord failed to work on one test. Compared to that, this car would be a cinch.

The owner's manual was sticking out of the glove compartment, and he skimmed through it to double-check a few things. It took a minute to find the proper wires. Every color looked the same in this moonlight, not to mention blurred because of his lack of glasses!

He stripped the very ends of the needed wires using the knife. He was very cautious during this part. Getting electric shocks was never fun. The engine would have to be revved a few times to ensure it would keep on running. Hopefully Suzie was keeping an eye out for lights in the upper windows…

…

"Shoo! Now is not a good time, puss!"

The cat purred and rubbed against her scales. It meowed affectionately every time she pushed it away! "Well, at least you're not the barking sort." Suzie petted it. This was the first friendly animal she had ever met in the Human World. It couldn't hurt to pet it for just a few minutes. The plan was going so smoothly so far.

A revving car engine distracted her and she gasped in alarm.

The cat ran off into the darkness.

…

_There we go!_ Randall pressed the gas pedal once more to make sure the job wouldn't have to be repeated. He remained invisible while shoving the steering column back in place.

All seemed pretty quiet up in the house. So far, all he heard was a cat meowing; the beast was actually spotted running through the house's doggy door. A slight panic gripped his chest. That cat could wake up whatever humans lived inside.

"Suzie!" he hissed, reaching over to open the passenger door. "Time to go!"

The girl hopped in, slamming the door loudly. The second she was in, Randall acted fast, but as quietly as he could. He reversed into the street and left the house behind. "Check for anyone following."

She did so. "Hope. No lights, nothing." She slouched down in the seat and sighed out in relief. "Sorry. The cat wouldn't leave me alone."

"That cat would be our downfall. I should have done this alone." He would've stayed out of sight the whole time. Some cats were like watchdogs, alerting their owners to anything suspicious. Some lookout Suzie turned out to be! Next time, some other monster had to come.

It felt so strange to be behind the wheel of a car again! This old van needed a little extra pressure on the gas pedal to get moving, but it did what he wanted it to do.

Randall checked the house through the rear-view mirror. No lights had yet come on. The sight put his mind at ease as he turned the corner. Hopefully that cat would keep quiet!

…

"Ugh. I hate the waiting game," Naomi paced back and forth, too close to the side of the road. "Let me tell you, I'm getting pretty_ sick_ of all this sneaking! Makes me feel like a criminal."

"…Princess, that's kinda why we're here at all." Becca rolled her eyes up at the moon.

They waited with Bernard near the road leading out of town. It was an ideal spot. Fewer streetlights lined this particular road; only the half-moon illuminated its details. A few neighborhood houses stood close by. The lights in them were all out, which was a good sign. The entire town was still asleep.

But the waiting monsters couldn't help but be anxious. Over an hour had gone by since Randall and Suzie had left. Even level-headed Bernard was wringing his hands; his feather crest rose up and down with apprehension. All were listening for the hum of a car engine, the scraping of tires against pavement, but so far, only crickets and owls could be heard. Normally, they would be a comfort on a night such as this, but not now…

Blaring headlights blinded them suddenly as a big, dark van pulled up. An old, beat up thing with a faded paint job. In a panic, the monsters hid. They couldn't see who was at the wheel…Becca peeked out from the bushes for a closer look and saw two familiar faces behind the windshield.

"You did it!" she gave a rare grin and hurried up to Suzie's window.

"I just sorta got in the way the whole time. But still, not bad for a heist, huh?"

Naomi rushed up. "I want the front seat!"

"No way, I was here first. You ride in the back."

"Just get in, already," Randall rapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "There are only a couple hours 'till dawn."

Everyone loaded the backpacks, weapons, and bundles of knick-knacks into the trunk. The sound of it getting slammed shut was overly loud and seemed to echo down the street with menace.

Bernard slid open the side door and squeezed in as best he could. There was enough room on the van's last row of seats for him to sit comfortably. He pulled out a map of roads and highways. "With luck, we should reach the other side of Texas by dawn. Let's drive! I have to admit, even I'm excited about this!" he exclaimed to Becca and Naomi, who climbed into the middle row. "To think, I haven't been in a car for twelve years."

…

With everyone so ecstatic, Randall couldn't help but feel pleased with himself. He pulled back into the road with a smug expression. This had all been _his _doing, and it had gone off without a hitch! Everything was going his way. Thanks to him, they would soon be in a nice, safe new place to live, one far better than a big open beach. Talking the gang into this road trip hadn't been nearly as tough as he had initially thought.

Bernard was still the leader. Randall had no great desire to take over the group. That wasn't his style. He could easily manipulate everybody just by using his old, devious ways.

…

From the back seat, Bernard held the map to navigate, calling directions to Randall.

"Will you cut it out?" Randall snapped after this had gone on for a long time. "It can't be that hard to find a highway. Just follow the road signs!"

"Just turn left here and it's straight ahead. By the way, how much gas is in this hunk of metal?"

"Enough to get us far away from where we stole it." The gage read nearly full; he estimated they could cross a few counties at least.

Becca had fallen asleep in her seat. The plan for the night was for everyone to take turns at the wheel, with the exception of Suzie, who didn't know how to drive. She was quite happy in the front passenger seat, however, and was digging through the van's compartments in search of something to do. Behind her, Naomi was going the same.

Bernard went on talking. "…so we should get through Colorado before the end of the week, and reach the park in no time! It could be busy in the summer, but I doubt we'll be in any danger."

"What's this place called, anyway?" asked Randall, wondering where the man was leading them exactly.

"Yellowstone."

"Oh, I've heard of that…" said Naomi with a slight groan. "Nothing but wilderness. It's camping all over again!"

"There are lakes there."

"Oh. Well, that's not so bad." Naomi perked up a bit.

Randall listened to the others' conversations as he drove. His job for now was to make it to the highway before someone took over. Sooner or later, he had to get some sleep. This trip would surely take a toll on the groups' sleeping schedules more so then keeping lookouts over a campsite. Dangers on the road included other drivers and possible police cars searching for stolen vehicles. Randall was positive that it was safe to travel for now. Real trouble wouldn't come until morning, when it was time to ditch.

Becca looked so peaceful that none wanted to disturb her. (This was a rare time when she was not scolding or bossing anyone around.) When it came time for the next monster to drive, Randall and Bernard swapped seats. It was astounding how the huge red monster was able to squeeze into behind the wheel.

"Haven't seen one of these in a while…" he switched on the radio and began fiddling with the dials. Keeping the volume low, he found a jazzy, nostalgic station and began humming along to the tune of the music.

The others all cringed. He was extremely off-key.

Suzie tried to brighten the mood. "Hey, look! Reading material!" she had been snooping under her chair. "'Bout time, too. I read those dumpster-doomed books a few times through." Her face then fell slightly.

"What?" asked Randall, getting comfortable in the back.

"This is a sappy teen romance novel. Disgusting! What ever happened to classy literature? I'd rather read a dictionary." She tossed the book aside. "Anything under your seats?"

Both he and Naomi checked. Clearly this van belonged to a family, for they uncovered not only a book each, but also small toys and stuffed animals, and a cube puzzle.

"Not much better, Suzie. These are kids' books." Naomi passed them up.

Suzie didn't seem to mind. She took them anyway. "Better than sappy writing…this one is a joke book, at least. I need _something_ to stay entertained." She cracked it open. After a while, she commented, "Wow, these are corny."

By this time, Naomi was beginning to drift off. "Hmm?"

"Listen to this: 'I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went…then it dawned on me.'" She waited for some sort of reaction. She tried again. "Or how about: 'What's red and smells like blue paint?...red paint.'"

Naomi raised two of her three eyebrows. "Those are dumb."

"I know, right?" she went on reading with a cheerful grin.

In the back, Randall had decided to have a quick go at the cube puzzle. But with the hum of the engine, the soothing scene of the landscape going by, the jazz radio, and his own exhaustion, he was having trouble concentrating. They had driven for quite a ways already. The scenery outside had more fields then houses. It all flashed by in a blur too quickly for him to see clearly. Without glasses, it was even worse. Some of the properties looked like farms…was this the right highway?

He was too tired to care right now. At least they were heading towards a place where _he _wanted to go. There was a great chance of staying alive within a massive national park. A far greater chance then a Texas beach.

"This one's good:" said Suzie, shaking Naomi awake again. "A magician was driving down the street…then he turned into a driveway***.**"

It took several moments for Naomi to clue in.

"Augh, Bernard, could you please shut off the music?" Becca woke up to the sound of the radio. It had suddenly blared a few decibels higher.

"I'm driving; I get to play it if I want to."

"Screw that. Letting me sleep is more impor—"

"Watch your mouth, Rebecca. If we had money, I'd make you start a swear jar."

"Quiet! I need my beauty sleep, to," mumbled Naomi. "Enough with the jokes, Suzie. You can read that thing in the morning."

"C'mon, just a couple more…"

…

Randall sighed under the arguing. A whole road trip ahead of them had better not be full of _this. _He stretched out on the back row of seats and closed his eyes. A few blissful hours of unconsciousness would be welcome right about now.

**I am seriously having so much fun working on this story! For the next few chapters, we'll learn more about everyone's character, so we can start developing them! This one focused on Suzie a little more. *The magician turned_ into_ a driveway. I love corny jokes. :D (It's OK if no one laughs lol.) Exciting things to come!**


	9. Yellowstone

**Yay! I finished the chapter! Sorry that took so long. In it, there are signs of Randall forming friendships with the gang, a little more backstories, and the beginnings of character development. I'm so proud with how it turned out. It ended up waaayyyy longer then I thought it was going to be. Plus, I am a slow writer and tend to procrastinate. Thanks for being so patient, readers! **

Chapter 8: Yellowstone

By the end of that week, the monsters were well into Wyoming.

The journey had taken far longer than expected, what with the auto thefts and letting Suzie try to navigate one night. The girl's atrocious sense of direction threw them onto the wrong highway, nearly taking them all the way to Kansas. Becca had scolded her and forbidden any more navigating after that.

"Thanks. I feel so useful now." Suzie had said sarcastically.

"We'll get to that park in no time. You can lend a hand then," Becca reassured with the same stern tone. "Just relax and enjoy the ride."

Nobody had enjoyed the cars as much as Naomi. Whenever it was her turn to drive, she immediately cranked up some modern music with a beat and drummed along on the steering wheel. No one had ever seen her act this happy before. Bernard, still the quiet type, was less expressive, but even he wore a smile, albeit a fearsome, toothy one.

…

The final car was the sixth one Randall had stolen. Hopefully it would be the last. _The police might notice the chain of thefts if we take another one._

Not every hotwire job had gone as smoothly as he preferred. A few alarms had been set off, sometimes dogs spotted whoever was on lookout, and on one instant, a human man had heard the sound of the engine start. That had been a close call. Randall left that car running, exposed wires and all, and retreated into the bushes. The man had come outside brandishing a rifle.

Remembering that attempted theft, Randall slumped his shoulders. When they got to this national park, there would be no more dealing with things like that-for a while, at least. He was utterly sick of doing all the risky work around here.

This final car was a big, seven-seater van and smelled of air freshener. Everyone was in good spirits: Becca was driving while listening to the radio broadcast and Naomi was in the front passenger seat, gazing into the sun visor's mirror vainly. Suzie had kept ahold of the joke book from the first car, and was driving the whole gang insane with it. She found the corny lines hilarious and so did Bernard, who was laughing until his feathers popped up.

Randall fiddled with the stolen cube puzzle. He was only doing so to keep his mind occupied. He had solved it dozens of times during the road trip. After a while, he entertained himself by shifting into the puzzle's colorful checkered patterns. Suzie also seemed to find this hilarious.

_I've had just about enough of you._ He thought in aggravation. Did she have to laugh at everything in sight? It was so irritating. Dealing with Naomi's constant complaining was bad enough!

…

The night was a very dark one. Most of the gang wanted to sleep, but that was out of the question. The journey was just about over and they all needed to be as alert as possible.

Becca drove on steadily. "That's gotta be the fifth road sign. The park is coming up fast, Bernard. What should we expect?"

"There'll be a gate at the entrance," he answered. "And no, we cannot drive through it. It's like a checkpoint, with humans there at all times. Best to ditch the van and go on foot from here."

"Now?" Naomi piped up. The sun visor's mirror was the only reflection of herself she had seen in months.

"It's only about a mile."

"Shame," Becca said as she pulled over. "The cars were nice while they lasted. We should steal them more often."

…

_Ahem? _I'm_ the one who does that!_ Randall felt like saying. He grabbed his knapsack, weapons, and gear, and slid open the van's side door without a word. Firing up Becca's temper was too tiresome.

…

They headed out into the night. The van's lights were switched off, and Randall's hand carved lockpick was turned in the lock to kill the engine. Becca had driven off the road a little ways. With all the greenery, it would be days until someone spotted the van.

This part of Wyoming was much wooded. Owl cries and screeches rang out periodically. Dim moonlight cut through the tall conifers; a silvery tone was cast over everything, but the monsters had no time to stop and admire the scenery. Their mission was too important.

"Um, you don't think there are any bears around here, do you?" Naomi bit her lip, walking at the back on the line.

"Probably. I remember seeing a few 'don't feed the bears' signs last time I passed through the park." Bernard called from up ahead.

"Oh, lovely. We'll be mauled to death. I still don't see why we couldn't have stayed on the beach."

Becca groaned. "Princess, are we really going over this again?"

"Girls!" Bernard cut in before they could argue. "Save it until we're in the grounds."

…

Sneaking past the entrance was easy. All they really needed to do was give it a very wide berth and dart from tree to tree. Before that, however, Randall thought it a good idea to swipe a map from the tiny checkpoint building. It was bound to carry some.

The ranger inside was half asleep when the invisible lizard sneaked in. All around the tiny room were maps and brochures, all filled with the park's policies, tour guides, landmarks, and details of the local wildlife.

_Perfect. This is all the info we need._ Randall soundlessly stole one of everything. These would surely prove useful.

This human was not an observant sort—he remained on his chair, eyes partially closed, listening to the distant owl shrieks. The random floating brochures and maps did not even catch his eye. Randall gently pushed the papers out the window, and he carefully slid out onto the grass as well.

Really, getting around these humans was just too easy! Randall crawled on all eights away from the gate. The rest of the gang was waiting just beyond the tree line. After a quick read of the map by flashlight, Bernard decided where they were to go next. The monsters would be keeping to the foliage if they could; their walk would be long, but manageable. It would be hours before any of them got some much needed sleep. All this travelling was really taking a toll on everybody.

They disappeared into Yellowstone's depths without a trace.

…

After hiking for a while, the monsters soon realized there was more wilderness then they could have hoped for. The stolen information guides told them a lot about the park. Suzie read every page by moonlight as she walked. One of the papers was a full map and the group paused their hike to decide exactly where to go. (There was much arguing between Becca and Naomi about this.) In the end, everyone agreed to head towards a lake. The forest would keep them sheltered, and they would be near a water source. It seemed a wise choice. This particular map was a bit faded with age; some of the landmarks were no longer legible. If the monsters needed to do a supply raid, some sort of civilization _had_ to be around, such as a ranger station.

"Guess we'll just have to wing it," Randall concluded when Bernard pointed out the problem.

The forest was on the spooky side by moonlight. Suzie was very nervous and stayed close to her sister the entire time. Small animals like raccoons and mice darted near the party every minute, which made her even jumpier. To distract her mind, she read over all the brochures again until she could recite them by heart. At random times, she consulted her trusty joke book, much to the others' annoyance. But it was taking her mind off things.

"OK, this one is really good: What do you call a psychic little person who has escaped from prison?"

"What?" Becca was more bewildered by the joke alone then the punchline.

"A small medium at large!" Suzie smiled, but she had yet to make anyone else laugh.

Bernard was being quiet. The woods seemed to have had an effect on him, for he kept gazing around with a thoughtful, sullen look. At times he even seemed depressed. Randall was the only one who took notice of this, but said nothing. He could care less about whether these other monsters were sad or happy.

Becca was acting as navigator, map in hand. She was sure they could make it to the lake inside of three hours.

"Three hours?!" Naomi cried. "It's the middle of the night! Can't we sleep first?"

"Look, we're all tired. If anyone falls asleep, it'll be hard waking them up. Let's just find a safe spot to camp. We can rest then."

Naomi groaned. She was too tired to even reply.

…

Randall wanted to sleep, too; it would have been easy: just climb a tree, find a branch, and stay there until dawn. No problem.

Of course, not so easy for the rest of the gang. None of them were very good climbers. What a pain this was, abiding to the needs of many!

He adjusted the strap on his backpack and moved on.

…

Elk and deer seemed to be in abundance in this park. The group spotted several herds during the night, outlined in silver by the moon. Not as great a variety of birds could be seen, probably because this was a slightly higher altitude. The howls of coyotes and wolves echoed over any fields the monsters crossed. Big, open space these were; almost too risky to cross without being seen. But so far, no buildings or any sign of human activity had been found.

At each field, Randall felt like running around just for the sake of enjoying it. He didn't, of course. He still had a shred of dignity left.

As they marched on, all wondered about what other dangers this park held. Some of the local creatures they knew very little about. Mountain lions, bears, and moose were new species, yet to be encountered, and none of them the safest animals to be near. They could be hiding anywhere in these forests.

The lake the monsters reached was not the large one on the map—the large one had too many human buildings around it, as well as a marina. This smaller one was a far safer place to live by. They picked a sheltered spot a ways from the shore: a tiny clearing amongst the trees, surrounded by bushes. Much of this section of forest was conifer; a good many pinecones were strewn about, which Naomi tossed over her shoulder as she helped to pitch the tents.

"This ground could be _less_ dirty…boy, that sounded dumb."

"Yes it did, Princess," said Becca. Her own tent was beginning to get some holes worn through it. The group did have plans to start searching for new sheets, tarps, or something similar, but the task had been put off so far.

Randall preferred to sleep in tree branches. He had gotten used to it after his time in the swamp; it was better than lying on a forest floor, where predators were more likely to eat you in your sleep. Despite his lack of a tent, he helped pitch the others in order to be useful.

Everyone was far too bushed from the three-hour hike to do much. Suzie collapsed into her tent with her tail sticking out. She was asleep in five minutes flat.

"I'll take the first watch," offered Bernard. He had already gathered some dry plants for a small campfire. A fire would be good, for it was an unusually chilly night and it may even help ward off unwanted animals. There was no need to worry about humans just yet; the fire was so small it wouldn't attract that kind of attention. "Naomi, if you please?"

"Hmm? Oh, sure," She breathed a narrow jet of flame onto the plants.

…

Randall suddenly remembered the Python Nu Kappa's ability of fire-breathing. Right after the scare maze event in university, some of the sorority had blasted at the maze walls in frustration because they had lost the challenge. Such ability would be handy out here. There was no reason to raid for matches or lighters.

He was lounging on a branch twelve feet off the ground, with his tail wrapped around it for balance. The branch was bent in such a way that it would be a comfortable place to sleep. Below, Bernard, Becca, and Naomi settled down to talk before turning in.

Like Suzie, he was ready for a couple hours of sleep before sunrise. But for the moment, he listened out of curiosity.

…

"Doing OK, Bernard?" Becca said upon seeing the older monster's gloom. "You've been acting funny ever since we got here. What's up?"

"Sorry," he said, quickly wiping the sad look off his face. "This place reminds me of a few parks back in the outskirts of Monstropolis…Have you ever been to the Mandragora Campgrounds?"

"Yeah. I took Suzie there when she was ten," Becca then admired their currant surroundings. "I suppose this _is_ a likeness…except for the weird animals. Why?"

"Used to take my son to places like this every summer…I suppose this park is just bringing back old memories."

Naomi looked a little sad at this conversation. Randall, however, was still curious about the man's past. This mysterious son had never been mentioned by name thus far. From his perch, Randall called down. "Who's your son, anyway?"

"Nicholas Brennan," Bernard stared at the fire, not looking at any of them. "He'd be thirty-two now, just a little older then you, Becca…Haven't seen the boy in twelve years."

"Do you think he kept your fishing business going after your banishment?" she asked.

"Probably. The authorities blamed_ me_ for the outbreak, not the company itself. Our business could still exist. If I know him, he'll keep it up."

Judging by the others' expressions, Randall was sure Bernard had never spoken of this before.

The older monster sighed. "There's no point brooding about it. I'd rather just try to forget, so no more, please."

Becca respected his wish and said nothing else. She knew she was lucky—Suzie being the only family she had; at least they were together out here in the middle of nowhere. The younger McKeen sister could be heard snoring away, her eel-like tail sticking out through the tent flap.

Naomi suddenly found this topic interesting. She turned to look up at Randall. "I've got my mother and grandparents back home. And my boyfriend, I suppose. But he'll have forgotten about me by now. I think you know him, actually. Johnny Worthington?"

…

Randall scowled. That was a name he didn't much care for. Worthington eventually became an even greater rival then that big blue buffoon! The senior year of university had been the toughest year ever.

…

Naomi didn't notice the scowl and went on.

"Knowing him, he may have gotten together with Carrie, or Crystal, or some other sorority sister. He was always making passes at us, even after graduation."

…

Randall was bored already. He could be less interested in hearing about Naomi Jackson's social life. He was ready to get some sleep and laid his head down on the bark.

…

"You're avoiding the inevitable question, Randall," Becca said unexpectedly, noticing his behavior. "You'll have to answer it eventually: Got any family back in Monstropolis?"

The atmosphere was quiet, save for an owl's hoot, the fire's flicker, and Suzie's snores.

…

Should he answer? It was obvious everyone _wanted_ him too. But he didn't see why he should. Bernard actually had a point. There was no going back to the Monster World; not a chance for any of them…why not just forget about it?

Actually, he doubted his family even knew what had become of him! They had never exactly been close; not for a very long time, anyway.

…

Without a trace of emotion, he responded. "None that I care to talk about. Goodnight."

"…Suit yourself," sighed Bernard.

Becca and Naomi were a bit disappointed, but did not push the subject.

"Better get some sleep, girls. We should scout the area tomorrow, and some of us must try to do some hunting. We'll decide who's doing what in the morning."

They each agreed to the plan. Normally, either one or the other would argue, but now was not a good time. Sleep sounded wonderful right about now. They said their goodnights and crawled into their tents out of sight.

…

Randall curled up on his branch. Hopefully that was the end of such personal questions. The more he thought about his, the more he agreed with Bernard's way of thinking: when it came to the Monster World, it was better to forget.

There was no point in remembering. He'd rather focus on the here and now.

...

Next morning, far from the campsite, Randall maneuvered through the trees, careful not to step on any twigs or brush against any foliage. Many creatures in this wilderness were sure to be the easily frightened sort. They were acutely more aware of danger in their surroundings. Randall had the feeling that even if he were invisible, taking down a meal could be tricky.

Behind him, a female squeal sounded out as she got caught in a thorny bush.

He stopped and exhaled. "How did I end up with_ you_ as a hunting partner?"

Naomi shook free of the bush. "Because scissors cut paper, and trust me, I'd much rather be at the lake!"

"Just hurry up."

They went on their way through the forest. Up ahead, a large grassy meadow spread out. It was sure to be polluted with something to eat. Even from here, there appeared to be what looked like a small herd of elk, congregating out in the field.

Randall saw this as a good opportunity. He waved Naomi to come closer. "Look. If we can take down one of those things, it will feed all five of us for days."

"Good. That means less traipsing through the woods. So, did you bring the pistols?"

"Did you forget _everything_ about the park's laws already? Hunting is prohibited!"

"Then what are _we_ doing, genius?"

"If anyone hears shots, the rangers will track us down. But we need to eat, don't we? So we're gonna do this discreetly…" Randall crouched low as he approached the tree line. Mere feet away, the meadow opened up invitingly. It was packed with potential meals. "Forget the pistols. Things will have to be done the old-fashioned way."

Naomi was apprehensive. She didn't want to do this! It was so barbaric. The elk looked so peaceful, grazing to their hearts' content. Hunting one down seemed so…cold-hearted. She'd much rather be down at the lake, fishing with Suzie and working on her suntan. She crouched low, too, to voice her thoughts. "Are you joking? I can't take down an elk. I'll wait here."

"Oh, please. You have claws, fangs and can breathe fire, so quit being so useless," Randall lost his patience. "I'm taking down one of these things sneak-attack style. Here, take my backpack. Help yourself to the bow and arrows when you feel like lending a hand."

"Humph." Naomi found herself scowling at thin air.

"Keep quiet and don't screw everything up." Randall's voice said.

They couldn't afford to go hungry. None of them had had a good meal since leaving Texas. All the car stealing, driving, and catching up on sleep during the day didn't leave much room for finding food. A hearty meal would be welcome.

When he was alone in Louisiana, Randall's hunts were more strategic then powerful. Going for the prey's throat was always the best move. Catching something was the hard part, and he killed quickly, knowing the vulnerable spots of lots of prey. Taking down larger beasts like alligators were what had built up his physical strength. Elk were new victims, though.

_They seem pretty docile_…he thought as he crept unseen into the open. _This'll be easy…I hope._

This would have to be done tactfully. No park rangers could be hanging around this thick area of Yellowstone, could they? And surely no guided tours could be taking place this early in the morning.

Randall shook the little worry away and concentrated.

Elk must have some sort of acute sense of danger, which was quite vexing. The closer he edged forward, the more herd members raised their antlered heads to look around. How could they possibly hear him?! He wasn't making a sound!

He crossed his fingers, hoping Naomi wouldn't do anything to disrupt this…_So far, so good._

The animals didn't run away. He slowly approached the nearest one, all set to strike. The elk turned his antlers in every direction; he was positive something was amiss, but could see nothing. Randall was close enough to see it blink.

He moved like lightning. The elk's cries were stifled quickly. The lizard used his sharp teeth to bite into the animal's neck; a fast, fatal blow.

The rest of the herd scattered in panic.

Randall reappeared to spit out the blood from his mouth. What a messy business…but this single elk was food, and the antlers could be made into tools or something else useful. Hunting made Randall feel so primitive; in the Monster World, all one had to do was head out to a grocery store. Out here, he was reduced to hunting like a predator himself.

As he shouldered the dead elk, an arrow suddenly speared into the grass right in front of him. He jumped back. It nearly impaled one of his feet!

"Sorry!" Naomi called, poking her head out from the bush.

Randall shook his head, exasperated. He would have to give her some lessons with the bow and arrows. Now that they had a safe place to stay for the summer, they_ all_ had to lend a hand with the chores. The purple-haired PNK woman cringed as he approached with the elk. He was used to hauling fresh kills; a year in the bayous had toughened him up considerably. Being half-covered in blood did not even phase him.

Naomi went a little pale at the sight. "Ugh. That's disgusting. You _seriously _expect me to go out stalking animals like that?!"

"If need be, yes." Randall stated. "It's good to know things like this. For starters, you have to learn how to use those." He pointed at the bow in her hand. "None of us should be using the guns. C'mon. Let's take care of this elk and get back to camp."

"Eew…We have to cut it up?"

Randall rolled his eyes. How often did he have to go through this?

…

Amazingly, Suzie found her way back to the campsite without getting lost. The lake was only a five minute walk from here. Actually, from just the right spot, a sliver of water was visible through the trees. She had caught a few small trout and was already chewing away on her own share when Randall and Naomi returned.

"Look! I caught us some lunch! Or maybe a snack…they are a bit small…" she held up a fish proudly. "Oh, and I did some foraging. Got a good stock of greens and mushrooms."

Here, Naomi made another revolted face. "There had better be some human campsites around. Raiding their picnic baskets sounds like a far easier way to get something to eat around here."

"Well, meat, fish and mushrooms are better than nothing, Princess. You really should look on the bright side of things. 'Least we won't go hungry in this park." Suzie dug into her catch, eating the fish raw and crunching the bones. Her half aquatic nature made it easy to digest. "I did some more reading on those brochures. Do you know just how old Yellowstone is?..."

…

As they talked, Randall unloaded the fresh elk meat into a woven grass mat. He rolled it up into a secure bundle and stored it high in a tree off the ground. The feast would wait until evening. He climbed down and began cleaning up the elk's hide; once it was stretched out, clean and dried, he could make it into a blanket, or perhaps a bag to carry things in. Or even start making a new tent.

A few of the elk's bones, as well as the antlers, had been stuffed into Naomi's knapsack. Weather Randall could fashion them into new tools or weapons, he wasn't sure, but decided to try later. For now, he used a rock to scrape down the elk hide.

Since the gang had a permanent camping lifestyle, it was vital not to let anything go to waste.

As he worked, he listened to Suzie's cheerful mood and Naomi's never-ending complaints.

…

"…I'm so glad Becca let me go to the lake on my own. Do you realize it's my first time actually doing something on my own?"

"Yippee for you, the mighty hunter," Naomi said sarcastically.

"Hey! We all know you hate it out here; quit rubbing it in, already. Didn't you ever go on outdoorsy-type trips like this in the Monster World?"

"No. Mother doesn't care for camping in the middle of nowhere, either. She'd be appalled if she knew where I am right now! No one else in the family likes this sort of thing, that's for sure." Naomi breathed a jet of fire, just to relive her frustration.

"Like it or not, Princess, you'll just have to get used to it. Right, Randy?"

…

Randall flinched. _No one_ called him that. _Ever._ It brought back too many unwanted memories.

…

"_Randall_, if you don't mind."

"Sorry…Good grief, you guys are testy this morning. Time to lighten the mood," she swallowed the last bite of her fish and pulled out the joke book. "Why does a moon rock taste better than an Earth rock?"

"Not these jokes again," Randall groaned.

"Humor me, here. C'mon, say 'why?'"

Randall kept scraping the hide, but did what she asked. What was the harm? "…why?"

"Because it's a little meteor."

To his surprise, Naomi burst out laughing. He wasn't so amused. "That's terrible. Why are you so hooked on that book?"

"Because it's so bad! Seriously, how could you not find these funny?" She paused upon seeing Randall's glare. "Sorry. I was just trying to enlighten your day."

The mood was cut short, however. The sound of rustling vegetation and snapping twigs was approaching the camp. Something was coming their way, and fast.

Suzie and Naomi reacted automatically. They ducked behind some trunks, armed with kitchen knives, while Randall remained where he was, invisible. If it turned out to be a threat, they could take care of it…but they relaxed quickly. It was only Becca.

But she was the most flustered Randall had ever seen. There was a small cut on her face, and fresh spatters of mud and dirt all over her. He reappeared as she leaned against a rock to catch her breath. Her eyes were extremely wide with what looked like mild panic. It was an expression Randall had never seen her wear.

Suzie sensed something was wrong right away. She rushed up to her sister. "Becca, what happened?"

"We were spotted…by a…bunch of kids," she breathed. "Not to worry…it was only a split-second glance…I don't think anyone followed us, but Bernard and I split up, just in case."

"What did you guys find? Any campgrounds?" Naomi asked hopefully.

Becca took a sip of water. "Oh, even better. There's an entire complex, only a few miles from here. There's a hotel, a few visitor's centers, and a ranger station. If we ever need supplies, we know where to go."

The others cheered up with this stroke of luck. Maybe they wouldn't have to hunt or forage as often with civilization close by.

"But something else went wrong, though. I can see it in your face." said Suzie. "Where's Bernard?"

"…he's not here?"

"Obviously not," Randall rolled his eyes. "Do you see him sitting around?"

Becca looked like she wanted to punch him square in the face. "That's not funny, Boggs! If he doesn't show up soon, we're going out to find him!"

"Why? He's a big guy. I'm sure he can handle being lost in the wo—"

"It's _because_ he's a big guy that we may have to go find him!" Becca marched forward, pointing a finger in anger. "Humans are curious; they can track him down, no problem! Do you expect us to do _nothing_?!"

…

Randall was used to living by his own rules. In the Human World, every monster had to learn to look after themselves. Nobody else seemed to think along these sensible lines.

...

He crossed all of his arms defiantly. "I'm not risking getting caught by a whole team of monster-hunters. Let Bernard find his own way back." Naomi bit her lip and Suzie's mouth fell open at his statement.

"No!" Becca fumed. "If he doesn't turn up by this afternoon, we search for him. End of story! You listen up, Randall: in this group we take care of each other! It's _not_ every monster for himself."

…

Randall flinched as the others became angry as well. They glowered at him with all the strength they could muster. He was not easy to intimidate, but he admitted it was a very unnerving moment.

OK, so maybe he went a little too far.

…

"If you want to stay with us, learn to be a part of this group," Becca went on, her temper simmering down. "It's not just surviving. We watch each other's backs, no matter what."

Randall pondered these words. He _never _watched anyone's back; it was not his way. But if doing so would integrate him into this group of misfits, fine. He'd join a search party, should one be formed.

With Suzie and Naomi whispering angry words about him, he returned to cleaning the elk hide. Might as well do something useful while they waited for Bernard's return…if the man showed up at all.

**Being a fan of clean, corny jokes, I think I'll insert a couple into every chapter just for the fun of it. :D Next up: dramatic chapter! I got this whole story meticulously planned out and it's going to be very long. There's lots more to come. If you feel like reviewing, possitivity is appreciated! :) Thank you! **


	10. The Missing Monster

**Woo Hoo! Next part is here! **

**This big story project is so much fun to work on. This is more of a serious chapter, so not as many jokes this time. My joke sources actually come from a kids' joke book that I found lying around at home. They're so bad, they're funny! :) **

**A special thank you to ScribeofRhapsody, who has reviewed on every single update! You have been so encouraging and have been keeping me motivated! Hope you and everyone else like this next part. Enjoy! Love Purple Duskywing. :)**

Chapter 9: The Missing Monster

Everyone kept busy to avoid speaking. Nobody was in the mood to even look at Randall, not after his heartless remarks about Bernard's disappearance. He worked on the elk hide, scraping it spotless and stretching it out as best he could. The final result was not as big as he would have liked; it would take at least four hides to construct a single tent. This was the biggest animal he had ever skinned. (Gator hides in the bayous were a bit too tough and not worth the effort.) Suzie's forlorn face plainly said she felt sorry for the animal, but verbally, she said nothing. Everyone in the group knew that hunting was necessary to stay alive.

That afternoon was long and terrible. The sun may have been shining at full strength, but it felt like a tense storm approaching within the monsters' campsite.

Naomi, Becca, and Suzie were all doing mundane chores: gathering water, constructing their own crude weapons, gathering suitable plants to light fires, or doing jumping jacks for some exercise. At random times, one or two monsters would leave for some scouting. They did not go very far, for really they were keeping a close watch to see if Bernard was in sight. A full hard-core search would not take place until later, if he failed to show up. If the man had indeed become lost, then the afternoon gave him enough time to find his way back.

…

Randall was still pondering over Becca's words. _Watching each other's' backs?_ He could barely grasp the idea. Why should he watch out for these monsters whom he had only known for a few weeks?

The thought of just heading out on his own _did_ come across his mind…in the swamp he had never had any real problems…except for the sheer loneliness. That was the only thing stopping him from ditching this group of misfits.

Randall took his bow and slingshot to do some shooting practice. That would pass the time. The others refused to speak to him anyway. Getting out of the campsite for a while was probably the best thing to do at the moment.

…

"Oh, this is bad," Naomi remarked that evening. "Look, the sun's setting already, and there's no sign of him! What do we do?"

All four of them were together around the little campfire. Naomi had been cooking elk meat for most of the day, leaving some of the portions raw for those in the group who preferred it uncooked. Like Randall, she liked her meat well-done. She turned a portion on the spit while waiting for Becca's response.

The royal blue monster was pacing back and forth anxiously. With the late, yellow-orange sun cutting through the pine trees, her golden speckles glittered. The same thing was happening to Suzie, only against green scales. The brightness would be easy to spot through the forest. Not necessarily a good thing it you were hiding out away from the eyes of humans.

Randall was hanging carefree, upside-down from a branch. He decided to remain in the background, out of the conversation. If the others were still angry, he didn't want to deal with any riled-up tempers. This whole learning-to-be-patient thing was certainly a slow-going process.

"Hello? Earth to Rebecca!" Naomi repeated a little louder. "What do we do?"

Becca frowned at her full name, but answered. "Let's give him until morning."

"But I thought you said—" Suzie began.

"I know, I know. But it just occurred to me that doing a wide-spread search won't be such a smart idea at night. We're only _just_ learning the land's layout. Suzie, you'll get lost before going half a mile; no offense."

Suzie shrugged off the true comment. There was no denying her bad sense of direction.

Naomi finished cooking her portion of venison and pulled it off the spit with her claws. "So, it's sleeping in shifts as usual?"

"Yep. Randall, you're taking the first watch. No excuses!" Becca ordered when he opened his mouth to protest. "If Bernard shows up, you are to wake the rest of us right away." She returned to her pacing. "He's never been gone so long before."

"Yeah…" sighed Suzie. "Hope he's alright…you don't think those humans found him, do you?"

Becca looked at her sister with worry. "…I hope not."

…

Randall added nothing to the discussion. It was definitely possible Bernard had been caught. It was hard to miss a bright red monster the size of an overgrown gorilla. He didn't see what was so special about Bernard; granted, the man was an expert fisherman, but all he really did around here was deciding the fate of the group. He was not a talkative sort, was very solemn, and had yet to trust Randall when it came to handling the pistols and shotgun. (Of course, the guns couldn't be used in this massive park, but still…)

Becca was perfectly suited to leading, with her bossy attitude. But she and the others were attached to the older monster. He could almost be described as a fatherly figure, especially to Suzie.

Randall crossed all his arms as he hung by his tail. It looked like he was going to have to join in a search weather he wanted to or not.

…

All night they waited, sleeping in shifts as was normal, but with one less member. Nothing wandered into the camp, save for a few scavenging raccoons that had to be frightened off.

At dawn, Becca took it upon herself to take command in Bernard's absence. Her past as a scare coach suited her to the position and she wasted no time in deciding what was to be done. Randall could tell the others were still mad with him, so he ate his breakfast of berries and fish up on his branch. From there, he watched the ongoing conversation down below.

"…so what exactly happened yesterday, Becca?"Naomi was asking. "You said some humans spotted you?"

"Yeah. We had scouted up to the very edge of that complex…" Becca stood up to explain. "The ranger station was only ten feet away. I guess we just went too close. A bunch of crazy kids came tearing around the corner, out of nowhere! Playing tag or something. I'm _positive_ they glimpsed us…we were already in the woods, just at the very edge, so we retreated."

"Did the kids follow?" Suzie bit her lip.

"Unfortunately. Bernard said to split up, move in zigzags until they gave up, and then meet back here. I must've run a good five miles before shaking the kids off. They were a curious bunch."

…

Randall wasn't surprised when she assigned him to spend the whole day at camp. That made sense, I guess. Just in case the man showed up spontaneously. With the others angry, Randall thought it best to be out of the way for a time.

"We'll be back eventually, Randall. Don't wait up for us," Becca said harshly as she led the small party away.

"Take your time, by all means." He said under his breath, hanging by his tail. _Goodness knows you all could use the trek to cool down._

They were heading towards the forests surrounding the hotel and other buildings that made up the complex. It was suicide, going back there, especially after being glimpsed by people. It was fine for someone like _him_, who could just disappear at will. But for the rest of the gang? There wasn't a chance of avoiding detection.

He swung back and forth, amused at how the trees appeared upside-down. This whole situation left him quite undisturbed. Let these misfits learn the hard way. He was just going to wait here and keep to himself. He could get in some more shooting practice with the bow and arrows. Or maybe do some color-changing exercises whenever an insect buzzed by. There was always something to do on long, boring days like this.

…

The three monsters tried to be inconspicuous as they approached the complex. Suzie often panicked on these dangerous missions and tried not to hyperventilate. Becca managed to keep her sister calm for the most part, as they neared the ranger station.

"Why are we diving straight into trouble again?" Naomi questioned. "In case you haven't noticed, Becca, it's broad daylight."

"This is the only way we'll find out if Bernard was caught or not. The rangers are bound to keep him in there; all I need is a quick look. If nothing suspicious is going on, we take to the woods—or check the rest of the complex."

"Please make up your mind. But if I get captured by kids or park rangers, I'm blaming you!"

Becca wanted the others to keep a lookout as she crept up to the window alone. If trouble arose, it would be easier for just one monster to run off into the forest instead of three. This was extremely risky, though. Even from here, she heard human families walking around, talking, and laughing loudly on their summer vacations. Luckily, no one came dashing around the corner.

She reached the ranger station's window. This building was not quite as public as the others; if a big, red monster had been taken into custody, he was sure to be held inside…she flattened the fins on her head so they didn't stick up and carefully peeked through the glass…

Two uniformed human men were in there. One sat at a desk going over paperwork, while the other stood in the middle of the room, eating a blueberry muffin. Their voices were muffled, but she heard a mundane conversation about the hotel's cafe and the muffins and omelets being served there.

"Mmm…a cafe…haven't seen one of those in a while," she mumbled.

There was not a trace of unusual activity, and no sign of Bernard. The rangers were acting so routinely that she doubted any big, red creatures had been caught from the forest. That was a good sign.

Returning to Suzie and Naomi, she told them what she witnessed. "…but we should listen in on a few other rangers, just to be absolutely sure."

Suzie and Naomi didn't want to hide out so close to the humans, but agreed in the end.

They spent a good hour there, watching rangers come and go. Whenever a new person went inside, a monster would creep up beneath the window to listen for any interesting facts. Nothing about a big red creature ever came up.

Everyone could breathe a huge sigh of relief.

"OK, that's the first good thing that's happened all day. Think we can raid that café or the restaurant while we're here?" Naomi said in a joking tone.

"Let's send Randall to do that. When we're all back together," Said Becca. "Let's get out of here. There's a lot of forest to search around this complex. Hopefully there are no campgrounds."

For the rest of the day, the gang covered the nearby forest for any sign of Bernard. It was tough. Many roads led in and out of the place. A few cars drove by, and a group of hikers passed through the undergrowth at one point. Sometimes even a families' dog explored in the ferns, coming disturbingly close to the monsters' hiding spot. So much activity was here; every human seemed happy, enjoying their vacation and soaking up the sunshine and wild wilderness. It was obvious no strange sightings had happened.

The three monsters kept on the move constantly, hoping against hope that they would stumble across some clue as to Bernard's whereabouts. By the time early evening arrived, the reality was clear.

There was no way Bernard could still be hanging around this busy place.

When they returned to camp, finding Randall whittling at some wood tranquilly, the mood fared no better.

Suzie and Naomi were starving from all the walking, hiding, and eavesdropping of today. They dug into the fresh stock of birds Randall had killed. In a way, they accepted it as a peace offering for his heartless remarks from yesterday. Becca, after a long while, dug in as well.

She looked over her shoulder, out into the woods, as she ate. There had been no luck so far…now, a fierce determination shone in her eyes.

…

The entirety of the second day was to be spent combing only the forest. This time, Randall was permitted to join instead of hanging out in the campsite getting more bored by the minute.

Suzie volunteered to wait—which was probably a good thing, since she was destined to get lost. Despite having little practice with a bow, Randall left her the set for protection. He'd take his slingshot instead. It had served him well back in the bayous and still did.

"OK, listen up," Becca gathered everyone together. "More ground needs to be covered, and will be if we split up. I'll head east. Naomi, you go out towards the meadows, and Randall, you go west. Don't leave _any_ forest unturned. Everyone have their map?"

"Got it," Naomi waved it around as proof. Randall nodded.

"Any advice for me?" Suzie piped up.

"Stay on patrol here. You never know, Bernard might turn up. It's not like him to be lost for very long. Be safe, alright?" Becca gave her sister a quick hug goodbye when the others had their backs turned.

They planned on searching the trees all day.

…

Personally, Randall couldn't see what good it would do. Two million square acres of national park, with one missing monster to find…the odds seemed rather slim. If the man had been banished for so long, surely he would find his way back in due time.

He parted from Becca and Naomi for his share of the job. _Oh well. 'Least I have some time alone out here._ It would be the perfect opportunity to get the lay of the land. He marched out into the forest in relatively good spirits. On the way, he could climb some tall trees for kicks; the conifers here were far taller than the old cypress-draped things back in Louisiana. Spectacular views were sure to be had in the canopies. Or maybe he would hunt down a few more birds with his slingshot. Might as well do something productive during the day.

As he strolled through the undergrowth, he kept every finger crossed that someone else would find Bernard. It wasn't that he cared much, but massive searches like this certainly were draining. The sooner the man was found, the less aimless wandering Randall had to do.

…

But when everyone congregated back at camp that evening, no such luck occurred.

"Any luck?" Suzie asked hesitantly.

"No…" said Naomi, squatting by the campfire to breathe a jet of flame into it. "He's still out there, somewhere."

Becca collapsed with exhaustion at the base of a tree, while Randall climbed like a gecko into its branches for some much-needed sleep.

Suzie sighed in a melancholy way. Out of everyone here, she was the most anxious.

…

On the third day, even Randall had to admit he was becoming a tad concerned. With the man's twelve years of experience in the Human World, three days was _way_ too long to be merely lost. Early that morning, he joined the others to formulate today's plan. So much time had passed since last seeing Bernard that the mood was very tense.

"Something must've happened," Suzie panicked as they prepared to head out for another go. "You don't think he ditched us, do you?"

"No, of course not! He'd never do that to us," Becca reassured, but she looked the tiniest bit worried. "Naomi, where have we not gone? We've gone over every blade of grass in a ten mile radius, it seems."

Naomi consulted the map. "Um…along the river?"

"I thought we checked that yesterday." Randall swung down from his branch.

"Not far enough, though. It leads pretty deep into the forest," Becca pondered. "…He _did_ run in that direction, come to think of it, when we were spotted."

"You don't sound so sure."

"Let's just go with it, all right? Time is wasting! We'll move in parties of two; that way we can search both sides of the river and the forest to boot."

To choose the teams, they played 'Rock, Paper, Scissors.'

…

To Randall's dismay, he ended up with Becca. _Great. I'll be getting pushed around all day_. He tried to find a bright side…there wasn't any, but he refrained from complaining.

…

Both Suzie and Naomi were hopeless in the forest. The river would keep them from getting lost, at least. Becca brought this up as she gave a final set of orders.

"Remember, keep to the river and whatever you do, don't lose sight of it. We'll all meet back here at dusk."

"Think he's still around out there?" Suzie gazed through the trees to look down towards the lake shore. The river emptied into it; that was where their epic search would begin.

"He'd better be," Becca replied. "Now, you stick close to Naomi, you hear? I don't want to conduct a quest for _two_ missing monsters. As hopeless as Naomi is in the woods, at least she has a better sense of direction then you…no offense."

Suzie giggled in agreement.

The party geared up and divided into their separate teams. Their backpacks were loaded with weapons, and food, all set for a grand hike to who-knows where…this was to be a rough day.

…

By midday, Randall was just about ready to strangle the woman. All morning she had been acting dictatorial, telling where to go, when to stop and rest and she constantly expressed her concern for Bernard's safety. This was one of the biggest crises she had experienced in the Human World, and she was not enjoying it. Her stress level was so high that Randall half-expected her to explode.

He was keeping quiet; all patience was just about worn through. If he spoke, he was bound to regret it. Sure, his own temper wasn't the greatest, but Becca's was far worse. Dealing with her bossiness was tiresome enough.

They rested right at the river's edge to eat lunch. It was nothing fancy: just a handful of edible tree bark, some greens, and a fish each. Becca promptly dove into the water to catch a fresh one. With gills, of course she did not resurface for some time. Those minutes were coveted by Randall. Any minute without being pestered was a good one.

They ate their lunches slowly. Both were growing very weary…The search had taken them farther then they had ever been from the campsite. This area of forest was extremely thick; so thick that they could eat by the riverbank without worry. Somewhere on the opposite banks were Suzie and Naomi, but since the waters were so wide, it was no use even trying to spot them.

Randall finished his meal and was drinking from a bottle of water to wash it down. For some reason, meals out here were far more satisfying knowing he had hunted, gathered, and worked for it, despite the food not being very tasteful.

"I think we should go a little farther before heading back," Becca said as she crunched on fish bones.

"We've been marching for hours and haven't seen a soul. The others could have found him by now."

"And what if they haven't? What if we're close and Bernard is wandering around within a mile of us?"

"Ugh..." Randall snarled. "You are never going to stop, are you?"

Now, Becca snarled. "Hey! It's high time you started to care, Boggs! What else would we do? Just abandon him in the middle of this deathtrap of a park? He had no weapons when we outran those humans. It's summer, and there are bears, cougars, and wolf packs out there. And worse, campers who'll mistake him for Bigfoot and start snooping around."

…

He did not reply, not wanting to admit she had a point.

…

Becca swallowed the remnants of her lunch. "Look, once you spend some more time in our group, you'll understand. Bernard is the patriarch out here! He's the one who formed our little gang in the first place! If not for him, Suzie and I would still be wandering around in Northern Canada. Do you even care?"

…

Again, he said nothing for the sake of avoiding an argument.

…

Becca slowly shook her hand in disbelief. "My father died over a decade ago—Bernard reminds me of him, a lot. If any of your family vanished without a trace in a place like this, wouldn't _you _go looking for them?"

He answered calmly. "Probably not. 'Least not right away. We're not what you call close."

That answer didn't satisfy Becca. "You never told us, Boggs. Who did you leave behind? If you're not close, do they even know you're here?"

Randall hesitated. He himself wasn't too sure of the answer, but said what he thought was true. "…No. They don't."

"Why not?"

…

_Uh oh. Tell a lie, tell a lie, tell a lie…don't mention the scream extractor. _He couldn't bring up his past. The gang would never trust him again…Actually, it was hard to tell if anyone trusted him now. No lie came to him. So he did the next best thing: refuse to talk.

"They don't know. End of story, so no more." He crossed every arm stubbornly.

Not another question would make him talk. The subject was extremely awkward, unwanted, and at times, a painful reminder of the world left behind. "I just want to forget them."

_There._ That seemed to satisfy Becca's curiosity. Her constant, hard-faced expression softened ever so slightly and she dropped the subject.

After listening to the birdsongs for a while, the two got to their feet once again.

"C'mon," said Becca, in a less-snobbish-then-usual way. "Just a few more miles, then we'll head back."

_Fine, But Bernard had better show up soon, or this search will never end._ Randall shouldered his backpack and begrudgingly followed.

…

Surprisingly, Suzie and Naomi had covered far more ground on their side of the river.

They had travelled a few miles ahead of Randall and Becca, to a place with fewer trees. Steep, rocky slopes lead down to the river, which could be quite dangerous to walk along. Some slopes jutted down a long ways, more than thirty feet in some places. Both monsters disregarded the danger and walked along the edge, anyway. They made a game of hopping from rock to rock to pass the time. With the forest so thick, humans would have a difficult spell going hiking this far upstream.

Suzie stood stop a tall boulder to admire the view. From there, she could see plenty of sky and far across the little canyon into the forest beyond. "Not bad! Maybe we should move camp up here! What do you think, Naomi?"

Naomi whined as she pulled herself up onto a boulder as well. "I say are you crazy? These rocks are brutal terrain!"

They took a moment to survey the land for signs of life.

Naomi sighed. "No sign of Bernard yet. How much farther are you making me walk?"

"As far as possible before noon."

Naomi put her hands on her hips and frowned in disapproval. She was sore all over, had cuts and scrapes on her legs, and was getting very thirsty. Not to mention hungry, tired, and dripping with sweat.

This search would be more effective if they called out Bernard's name, but that was out of the question. As remote as this area was, a human might hear such calls and come to investigate. The odds of hikers braving this terrain were a little slim, but it wasn't worth the risk.

The monsters had yet to break for lunch. Naomi squinted skyward; it must be nearly noon by now. She hopped over a few more rocks to catch up. "Think we can have lunch under a tree somewhere? The day's getting hotter every second."

"Good idea," Suzie agreed. "Just a little bit farther, though. See that ridge up ahead? We should be able to see for miles from there!"

"Is that the last stop?"

"Yep."

"Good. What a hike….and this heat is frizzing up my hair like a haystack! Some summer this is turning out to be." Naomi tried to smooth out her unkempt purple tresses. "Stupid hair…it used to be perfect."

Suzie paused to let her catch up and sighed. "Why don't you just cut it?"

"No way!"

"You'd look cute as a button with short hair. It'd be adorable."

"I don't _wanna_ look 'cute as a button,' I wanna look hot."

"…that is the stupidest thing you've ever said." Suzie rolled her eyes in a bemused way. "We're nearly there. You'll feel better once we eat."

At the high point on the rocky riverbank, the cliff sloped down at a high, extremely deadly angle. Water tumbled along about forty feet below in an ever-flowing stream. This was indeed not a smart place to even_ attempt_ to reach for human hikers. As Suzie unpacked some food from the backpacks, she began to relax and recite a few jokes. Naomi stood in the shade, almost too close to the cliff's edge. Even she couldn't help but admire the view from the great vantage point.

"OK, here's a one-liner," said Suzie. "'I tried to catch some fog today. I mist.'"

Naomi continued looking down into the canyon. She did not respond.

"Naomi? Get it?"

But she had gone rigid. At once, she knelt down on the rocks and pointed downward. She stopped fussing over her frizzy hair and with her other hand, beckoned for Suzie to come over. "Suzie…we found him!"

Her terrified expression was enough to make Suzie leap over in one bound. She, too, gazed down at the river, following Naomi's pointing claw.

Bernard was not lost anymore. They saw him far below at the bottom of the slope. His backpack lay there on the rocks with the contents spilling out.

His massive red form lay facedown at the river's edge, unmoving.

**Cliffhanger! (Mwahahaha...)**


	11. The Supply Raid

**The reviews have been so great! Thanks you to everyone for saying nice things and keeping me motivated! **

**Randall will indeed become nicer as the story goes on, but it will be a very gradual change. When I watched Monsters University, I noticed that his change from good to bad was very slow, and even by the end of it, he didn't seem 100% bad. So I figured it made sense to do the same thing here as he becomes good. I have a pretty good backstory about his family, but am going to keep it a surprise! It'll come up in the next couple of chapters.**

**In this part, the group tries to figure out how to help Bernard, who is seriously injured at the bottom of the cliff, and Becca and Randall finally are able to get along and work together during a risky supply raid. I wanted this part to be a little more serious, so none of my corny jokes, unfortunately. Enjoy anyway and thanks for reading!**

Chapter 10: The Supply Raid

Suzie disregarded the danger of shouting aloud. "Bernard!" she didn't care if hikers heard. The downed monster didn't move. "Bernard!"

Naomi silenced her. "Shh! Someone will hear that."

"We've gotta get down there…oh, where to climb down?" The rocky slope was so steep, and a good forty foot descent. "Hurry, let's pack up. We'll have to backtrack to a safe spot." She was practically shaking with panic. It was all she could do to breathe calmly.

It was a mad scramble as their lunch was repacked. Both had lost their appetite. They tripped, jumped, and skinned their knees on the rocks without even noticing. When a lower slope was found, it was yet another stumble down to the river's edge. Every second wasted was a treacherous one.

Bernard was still lying like a dead man when they finally reached him.

"Bernard! Oh, God…" Naomi stopped scarcely three feet away from him. She was too scared to come any closer. "Is he…?"

Suzie was checking for a pulse. She sighed in relief. "Yes, he's alive…still breathing and everything. Thank goodness…"

Naomi gazed up at the cliff-like slope. From down here, it seemed even more daunting. There was a definite track running down from the edge. Bernard's fate was not hard to deduce: he had been too close to the edge and fallen all this way. He was dusted with dirt and small bits of rock and pebbles. Gashes lined his face and one bled into his colorful feather crest. Some feathers were bent in odd angles, or on the verge of falling out. More cuts were on his torso, but those didn't look too serious.

What was most worrying was an enormous bruise on his skull. Suzie and Naomi want pale upon finding it: a black, blue and purple thing it was, with quite a bit of dried blood. Had Bernard been lying here, unconscious, for three whole days?!

"Oh! What do we do, what do we do?" Suzie panicked, clutching the sides of her face as if to keep her head on straight. "How do we get him back to camp?"

Naomi pointed out the backwards bend in Bernard's right leg. "Bad idea. Even if we could lift him, I don't think it's safe to move that leg."

"How much first aid do you know?"

"Not much. What about you?"

"Nothing."

Naomi began pacing fast. "OK, let's not panic! Let's think…thinking is good…um…do Becca or Randall know first aid?"

"Maybe. I dunno, I've never asked them," Suzie looked back at Bernard's broken body. "Should we flip him over?"

"No, don't touch him. That might make it worse. He must've fallen head over heels—how'd he get lost this far away from camp, anyway? Those humans must've been tracking him if he wandered all the way out here!"

Suzie was tenderly feeling for any more broken bones. The leg was obvious: right below the knee, the bone visibly bent at a weird angle. But she also checked his other leg, and each arm. They seemed alright, albeit a little bruised. She pushed the feathers aside on his back to check for any more injuries. "Oh no. Naomi, we've _got_ to flip him over. Some of his ribs feel broken."

Neither felt sure if it was a smart idea, but Bernard's weight could be pressing down on cracked ribs. So they worked together and rolled him onto his back as gently as they could. It took several tries; the man had to weigh at least five hundred pounds.

"There. OK, what do we do now?" Suzie panted from the effort.

"Go for help, of course. Randall and Becca are on the opposite bank, right?" Naomi looked at the unconscious Bernard. "You stay with him."

"All by myself? Don't leave me out here—"

"One of us has to stay, right? We can't just leave him like this. What if he wakes up? Or animals come?"

Suzie nodded in understanding. Naomi could be quite serious when the situation called for it.

"Here. Take the food from my backpack and um…here, a few extra knives. You'll be fine."

As she handed over the supplies, Suzie felt not so sure. Bernard might have a concussion—how bad it was, no one could say—but with him out like a light, she would be on her own. She would have to divert any hikers, or shoo away scavenging animals to keep him safe. After three days by the riverbed, helpless, it was amazing no further harm had come to him.

"Come back soon, OK? Please?"

"I will, I promise." Naomi hopped over some boulders to cross the river. Randall and Becca were _somewhere_ along this side…one of them must know what to do. She hadn't a clue how to handle broken bones! After finding a safe spot to scramble precariously back into the forest, she practically ran into its shadows. Bernard needed help. _Now!_

…

Becca had tried everything to try and get Randall to talk. There was still something about him she didn't like. He was a stubborn monster, still refusing to answer all the questions she had about his background. And although his reason for banishment _sounded_ truthful, she was still suspicious. She was sure he was hiding something…

"Then again, I'm probably just overreacting. I _do_ do that," she muttered.

She was leading the way along the river with Randall a few steps behind. Judging by the sun's position, it was a little after noon. They wouldn't make it back to camp before dark if they explored any further. So it was back downstream they were going.

Becca took a glimpse at Randall. He had proved himself useful enough; he made supply raiding more successful, and was a superb hunter. Weather his background was true or not, she supposed it didn't really matter at this point. He was handy to have around out here in the wilderness. "I guess we were right in taking him in."

In the back of her mind, Becca decided to keep trying to learn more about his history. Just to put her curious mind at ease. It was clear he didn't want to talk now, but she could always try again later.

"Hold it!" Randall said suddenly. "You hear that?" He cocked his head to one side and listened to the forest.

Becca paused, too.

Far off in the not-too-distant distance, but getting louder every moment, was the sound of a running pair of feet. They were very careless feet, thumping on the grass as if fleeing from a wild beast, and snapping twigs left and right.

The two monsters dove for cover behind some trees without saying a word. Becca ducked into a bush, while Randall blended into some bark.

…

"Gotta hurry," Naomi panted as she ran. She paid no heed to the snags on her dress. Of course she _would_ run into an overgrown patch of thorn bushes! Nothing seemed to be going right today.

She made it through and kept on going.

…

Randall and Suzie popped out of hiding in alarm as Naomi dashed past.

"Hey, Naomi! Get back here!" Becca called. "Just where do you think you're off to?"

"Oh, there you are! Saves me the trip," Naomi screeched to a halt and came back to them.

"Where's Suzie? She can't have gotten lost _that _easily. I told you to watch her!"

"She's fine, she's with Bernard…"

…

As Naomi launched into the news—both good and bad—Randall had a feeling the situation was far from over. Long before her tale was even finished, he realized a whole list of new problems rising: what were they to do if they couldn't get Bernard back to camp? What if his bump on the head was serious? Obviously they had to make a splint for a broken leg, but using what?

Instantly, he knew they would have to move the entire camp all the way out to this remote location. _Damn. That sounds like a lot of fun…Oh well…it's not Bernard's fault he tumbled forty feet into a ravine…or maybe it is._

An argument over the next course of action had begun. Becca wanted to move the camp immediately, until Bernard's leg was fully healed. Naomi thought of making a stretcher out of branches; with a little teamwork, the rest of the gang may be able to transport him through the forest.

Randall rolled his eyes. This was going nowhere, so he decided to voice his opinion. His own idea seemed the smartest one thus far.

…

"He should stay where he is. I doubt that moving him is a good plan. How bad is the leg, Naomi?"

"Bad."

"We could make a splint with some of the stuff from camp. Like the tent poles. The sheets can be torn into bandages."

The others lit up at the suggestion.

"Or if neither of you want to lose the supplies we have, how about raiding the humans' hotel for _real_ emergency supplies? There's bound to be a first aid room in there somewhere."

Becca seemed to favor that plan. "That's smart; then if something this serious ever happens again, we'll be more prepared."

Naomi nodded in agreement.

"OK, here's what we do:" Becca took over. "Randall, you and I are going back to the complex. It'll be like an infiltration mission. Naomi, I want you to stay with Suzie and Bernard; try to make him comfortable and have a go at making a splint out of whatever you can find."

"Think you could bring back some real food from the hotel café while you're at it? I'm dying for a scone or a muffin, human flavors or not."

"Ugh. Fine," Randall then turned to Becca. "I take it we'll be moving the camp out here, as well?"

"Of course! Bernard can't very well get back, can he?"

The monsters parted ways, moving very fast with urgency. Naomi took several backwards glances until the others were out of sight, swallowed up by the forest.

"This is the first real accident that's ever happened!" She realized as she made her way back through the thorn bushes. "Hope they'll pull through; it'll be tomorrow by the time they get back...And they'd better bring me a scone!"

…

By travelling quickly, they made it to the complex by late that evening. Both were completely wiped out and took a bite to eat before the great infiltration.

"OK, genius," said Becca as she chewed on some elk meat. "This scheme is all your idea, so how do you propose we do this? Stroll in through the front doors of the lobby?"

Randall squinted at the sarcastic tone. "I was thinking along the lines of the back door. Like the basement. You've snooped around the complex a few times already; did you notice any security systems or alarms?"

"Don't know for sure, but we should expect them, I suppose. Don't tell me you know how to deactivate them."

"…OK, I won't tell you," Randall smirked at her baffled expression. "Relax, it's child's play. We'll be in and out before you know it."

…

Now, Becca's suspicions were raised a tad higher. The man had said he worked as a scarer. But why did he know so much about machines and mechanics? First the invented weapons, then his backstory involving scream canister technology, then hotwiring all those cars, and now _this._

She shook the thoughts aside, deciding she was overreacting. His knowledge was probably only a hobby.

…

When it was dark enough and safe to traverse through the forest, they left the campsite. Their overall plan was to complete the supply raid, come back here for some shut-eye, and begin travelling upstream in the morning.

Randall led the way this time. What a relief! It was a nice change from Becca bossing him around. She seemed rather anxious about the mission, but did not say so.

On the silent journey to the complex, Becca kept glancing left and right for fear of some unwanted creature turning up. Whether it be human or animal. The echoes of owl hoots and wolf howls came from the forest; some sounding incredibly close. She was not one to be afraid; she was a fearless monster, a survivor out here; but the thought of being left alone in a dark forest made her uneasy.

…

The ranger station's lights were on and voices could be heard inside. A few other assorted buildings, like the information center, were as dark as the night. The gravel parking lot (mostly full of rangers' jeeps and guests' camper vans) was deserted, so the two monsters were able to sneak past with ease.

They crept through the shadows, around the buildings, until finding an out-of-the-way basement entrance. It stood behind a tiny, chain-link enclosure, which, as expected, had a security alarm at the latch. Climbing over was not an option; a little roof kept the whole thing very off-limits to visitors.

"I'm coming in there, too," Becca insisted unexpectedly. "You're _not _leaving me out here in the dark."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of being alone in the dark!" said Randall. "If you come in, you'll be spotted in no time. You expect me to 'watch your back' for the entire mission?"

"If you don't, I can still handle myself! Just unlock the door."

Randall pulled a knife from his backpack to use as a screwdriver. Removing the cover of the key pad was easy; after all, he had had to do something similar when he accidentally locked himself out his house one day back in the Monster World. All it took was a few tweaks of the internal wiring…he was forced to experiment, though. This looked very different from Monster alarms. In a few minutes, the illuminated lights of the keypad went out and the gate latch '_clicked.'_

"Ta da," Randall opened the gate nonchalantly.

"Check for security cameras before I head in."

"Fine. Here, hold this," He gave her his backpack and vanished before her eyes. He opened the basement door a crack, just enough to slip inside.

One thing that struck him was what a nice, air-conditioned corridor this was-a little_ too_ air-conditioned, almost to the point of being chilly. He took a quick look around, down the hall's length and into the adjacent rooms. Mounted up in the corners were two cameras to put an end to-another easy fix. Invisible, he slinked around and adjusted a few wires to make it look like a technical glitch. While doing this, he could take a survey of each room. This seemed to be the hotel's laundry room, with a janitor's closet and maintenance room nearby. Every molecule of air smelled of bleach and detergent…It was strong enough to make him gag.

Nonetheless, this was a good place to be in. _Talk about luck! Everything we need could be in here._

No humans were around, so he reappeared and opened the door for Becca. "All clear. Let's get what we need and go."

"Don't forget, a med kit is priority. Who knows how well Bernard will do without one? Oh, and let's go up to the café while we're here. Naomi's right; some real food will do us good. You can do that part."

"You think this is some sort of shopping trip?""

"When will a chance like this come again?" Becca counter-argued. She strolled into the laundry room, which was a maze of washers, dryers, and cabinets and shelves stocked with linens and pillowcases. The room was so large that her voice echoed slightly. She got to work right away and began nabbing clean, folded sheets to stuff into her pack.

…

There was no point in arguing, so Randall went to explore the rest of the basement. It was a good thing only one stairwell led down here. He could keep an ear out for humans, although he seriously doubted anyone would be doing laundry at this hour.

In the maintenance room, he found a treasure trove of tools. He took some real screwdrivers, a hammer, and a couple rolls of duct tape. He had heard the stuff was extremely useful. Plus, the tools could double as weapons out in the forest.

He squinted along every shelf, taking his time…no medical supplies, though.

…

"Hey, Randall, any luck?"

"Got some tools. What did you find?"

"Sheets and blankets. I can't carry the quilts; they're too bulky…ugh, what's wrong with these people?" she surveyed the hallway after poking her head into the janitor's closet. "Where do they keep the first aid stuff...Oh, look, I found books!" On a shelf, she spied a few nature guides and took them. "Suzie will like these. Not the most fascinating topics, but she'll read anything."

The two snooped around for a little longer, but had no more luck. Each pondered over where to go next.

"There's got to be a first aid place for the hotel guests. It wouldn't be down here," Randall deduced. He moved toward the stairwell and peered up to check for trouble. "I don't see any cameras. I'm going up there. Are you coming, or are you going to stay down here in the dark?" Now that he knew the one thing she was afraid of, he couldn't resist rubbing it in. A monster that was afraid of the dark was so ironic.

She decided to come. They would stick to the plan of taking out any cameras and making this mission as short as possible. Any moment, a janitor or housekeeper could turn a corner! It was best to hurry up the search.

Randall remained invisible, but kept his backpack on so Becca would know where to step. He stuck his head through every doorway, looked around every corner; if he spotted a camera, he would slip the pack off, whisper, "Wait here," to Becca, and slink off to disable it. In this way, they managed to pass through the hallways with hearts pumping nervously.

The hotel was not fancy. Being in a nature park, it reminded one of a very large cabin, or a lodge. Its walls were wood, the pictures were local wildlife photographs, and there were many indoor plants for decoration. These turned out to be excellent places to hide. The lights were slightly dimmed for the night, but the monsters still had to be wary.

It took two wrong turns and a couple of dead ends until the huge lobby was found.

Just as he predicted, Randall saw some hotel staff out here: two desk clerks on night shift, and an old janitor vacuuming the carpets. The lights shone a bit brighter out here, adding to the danger.

The monsters ducked behind a couple of large potted plants. In sight was the entryway to the hotel café, but to reach it, they would have to creep across the foyer. If they squinted further down the hall, they could see tonight's main goal: a first aid room.

_Bingo. The job's almost done. What a night this is._ Randall slipped off his backpack and hid it amongst the leaves of the potted plant. Now it would be less troublesome sneaking supplies across the room.

With the vacuuming janitor, it seemed safe to whisper to Becca. "Let's hurry this up. I'll go to the first aid room, and you head to the café—"

Becca crossed her arms. "And how the hell am I supposed to get across the room? You figure that one out, Techno-Geek."

Randall hissed at the insult. "Let me _finish._ I'll create a diversion to get them out of the way. Then you make a run for it. It shouldn't take more than five seconds to run across the room!"

"Fine." She relented. "Meet me in the café once you find that kit!"

"Got it." He disappeared and maneuvered between the lobby's sofas and chairs. Over the sound of the vacuum he heard the two desk clerks chatting about malfunctioning security cameras…that didn't take long to be discovered. Randall smirked slyly.

Looking around, he saw endless opportunities for distractions. First, he followed the vacuum cord to its outlet and unplugged it. Next, he smashed a small potted plant just out the clerks' lines of sight. The janitor was old and walked rather slowly to go and see why his vacuum had stopped working, while the clerks left the desk entirely to see what had crashed.

As the janitor passed by the mess and dirt and broken pottery, he muttered in a wheezy voice, "More work to be done…"

Randall hoped Becca would clue in as to when to run. Sure enough, she made a quick dash across the vast room when the humans' backs were turned. She acted calmly, and concentrated on staying quiet. Randall's final glimpse of her was her eel-like tail whipping into the café out of sight.

He wasn't worried. Becca could take care of herself if the humans decided to snoop around—she would probably hit them in the face with a frying pan. He knew first-hand how much that would hurt—he had had the experience of being hit in the head with hard objects—like day one of his exile. He shook away the memory and focused.

Down the hallway, he crawled along the wall and found the room unlocked. That was surprising, but a stroke of good fortune. Someone must've forgotten to close it up for the night.

The inside reminded him of a nurse's office. There were cots, a sink, a few shelves, and a large white cabinet with red crosses on the doors. He reappeared and began a thorough search of the place. He opened everything within reach, moving fast and scanning each and every object…Not until the upper cupboards did he find what was needed.

_Success! Now we can get out of here._ He pulled out an emergency med kit, rolls of white bandages, and medicinal alcohol. As a bonus, he found a first-aid book in the back of the cabinet.

He was careful to leave the room tidy; no one should ever know a monster had been here.

…

The humans were still occupied with the mess in the lobby; now seemed a good time to fetch his backpack. Randall kept on ducking behind sofas, plants, even the check-in desk, to stay hidden. A floating med kit and backpack was somewhat of a give-away.

…

Meanwhile, Becca was having a grand time raiding the café kitchen.

Places like this often saved baked goods that hadn't been sold for the next day. A basket of wrapped blueberry muffins were ripe for the picking. She also took a look in the refrigerator to find lots of apples and oranges. She had never tasted either of them before—nothing like this was even similar in the Monster World, but these smelled alright and seemed edible, so she took them.

On the counters, she found more baskets, full of scones and cookies; Naomi had requested scones. Familiar Monster flavors were a lot more interesting, but oh well. By the time Becca was finished, every pocket of her backpack was stuffed. It had become quite bulky with so many goodies and supplies.

As an afterthought, she took a frying pan. The group could use it for cooking, or even fighting off animals.

Light, approaching footsteps reached her ears. It sounded like more than one pair…

She armed herself with the frying pan, ready to strike. The intruders were coming ever closer…the staff members must the inquisitive type! When she was certain of their whereabouts, she jumped into full view, her eyes jam-packed with malice, and raised her weapon—

"Hit me with that, and this is the last raid I go on with you," said Randall in an angry whisper.

"I thought you were the hotel guys."

"Obviously. Did you find everything?"

"Yeah. And the med kit? Did you find one?" She asked anxiously. When he pulled them out, she sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Bernard will be fine, now. I hope," she reassured herself. "OK, how do we get out of here…back through the basement?"

"Nah, the front door is faster. C'mon, I have a good distraction in mind." He swiped an extra apple from the fridge and pulled Becca back to the café's entryway.

"Don't tell me you plan on throwing _fruit_ at those guys. How juvenile," Becca put her hands on her hips.

"Why not? It'll work," Randall took aim with his upper right arm and threw with all his might. It landed far across the lobby, into a corner. His newly acquired muscles gave it enough force to smash yet another plant to pieces.

This mysterious commotion was enough to lure all three men into the corner to investigate. One of the clerks was looking panicky, muttering about ghosts in the hotel.

Without a word, Randall pulled Becca straight into the entryway and out the front doors. The getaway was fast, easy, and for the most part, quiet.

The old janitor heard something scuttle across the clean carpets, but when he turned to see, he only saw a shadow flicker out of sight. A moment sooner, and he would've noticed the hotel's double doors swinging shut.

…

The monsters squatted on the gravel and took cover between some parked cars to take a breather.

"Wow. What a thrill!" Becca exclaimed. "Not bad, Boggs. You're starting to pull your own weight around here."

…

Randall frowned ever so slightly. Did she not even realize how much hunting he did for the group? He shrugged it off. Coming from Becca, the statement was more like a compliment.

…

They stood after checking that the parking lot was clear.

"Hold on," said Becca. "Did you check the lobby for security cameras?"

…

_Whoops._

If there had been any, there may be trouble later on…_Too late now, I guess._ The gang was holding out so deep in the forest, that he doubted there would be a huge amount of danger. The lobby had been dimly lit, and he and Becca had kept in the shadows the whole time…

…

"Don't worry, we'll be safe."

"You'd better be right. Let's get out of here. I wanna catch up on my sleep before heading out in the morning. The sooner Bernard gets help, the better! That first aid book should help us all out, in the long run."

"Yeah," Randall pulled the thing out and leafed through it as they half ran back towards the forest. "Do you think Suzie and Naomi can set his leg on their own?"

"Good question. They'll probably try. They can't make it any worse, can they?"

**The next part will be posted within the next day or two. No procrastinating this time! Yay! :)**


	12. Naomi and the Wolves

**This was fun to write. The title really explains the whole thing. It's character development time!**

Chapter 11: Naomi and the Wolves

Naomi was getting extremely bored and cranky. This was a typical mood whenever it was her turn to keep watch. She paced, marching across the rocky turf to keep from falling asleep. It wasn't easy…The sound of the river was so calming, and crickets sang from the opposite banks. The moon peeked out from the clouds to give the towering trees a silvery glow. These sights and sounds were the perfect recipe for dozing off…

Naomi sighed. If only the group's current troubles could change to match the beauty of the moon…

Bernard still lay unconscious, but she and Suzie had done their best to make him comfortable. One backpack was under his head to make a pillow, and the other propped up his bad leg. They couldn't move his heavy bulk off the riverbank no matter how hard they tried. Flipping him onto his back had been difficult enough! With him out like this, setting his leg could be worth trying.

They had managed to pull it straight, but because of the nauseating sound of bones scraping against each other, they stopped. Making a splint couldn't be done until the leg was set, but for all they knew, their attempt at setting could have made things worse! So they resolved to wait until Becca and Randall showed up. Maybe something in a med kit could help.

Suzie had cleared away a patch of rocks so she could lie down and sleep. If not for her snores, Naomi would have dozed off, too. But it was her turn to keep a lookout for animals, or monsters. She had lit a small fire to ward off anything unwanted; the flames illuminated Bernard's head injury in great detail. The massive purple and black bruise was no better, but didn't look any worse, at least.

Never had Naomi felt so jittery!

"Oh, Mom, I wish you were here! You're a doctor; you'd know how to fix all this!" Naomi talked to herself to fill the void of silence. She stopped pacing aimlessly and sat on a boulder to bury her face in her claws. "Even a visit from Britney would be nice right about now. Didn't she say she was going into nursing school? I can't remember." The friendships with her sorority sisters were permanently over now. Cheating on her scare count score had truly cost her everything. Life had been so easy, compared to what was happening out here.

To ease her mind, Naomi fished out some of Suzie's books. The girl seemed to carry them wherever she went. The worn-out, found-in-a-dumpster volumes weren't really Naomi's type of genre, but she read some of the science fiction novel, anyway. To her surprise, she began enjoying it. Reading about the adventures of a time-traveler was far more interesting then pacing around, and feeling sorry for herself. After a few chapters, she switched to the joke book. Maybe she could cheer herself up that way.

Some of the corny lines weren't that bad; simple ones like: '_What did the triangle say to the square?...you're so pointless!'_ made her smile. But after finding a slightly more gruesome one—'_What did the cannibal get when he showed up at the party late?...A cold shoulder.'_—she put the book down.

"Wish I wasn't so squeamish. Maybe_ I_ should've gone to nursing school! Nothing like facing something to get rid of the fear of it…"

Her train of random thoughts was interrupted by movement from the opposite shores.

It was a mere shadow—actually a couple of shadows. They kept ducking behind boulders or tree trunks for some reason…"Hello? Becca, Randall…?" Naomi called warily. It couldn't hurt to check. Her inner sense of danger told her otherwise; all her instincts said to stay away.

She inhaled sharply as a wolf's muzzle crept into the moonlight.

Further to the left was another one, and yet another on the right.

"Oh, lovely," Naomi shuddered and took an involuntary step back. Her words may have been sarcastic, but in a way they were also true. The creatures really were lovely, with their grey coats gleaming with soft silvery tones. They moved gracefully and not a single paw made a sound on the grass. But their steps were slow and cunning…their eyes narrowed and focused on the strange encampment across the river. Since the water here was shallow, crossing it would be no problem.

Naomi counted the scouting canines—the party was very small for a pack…Three of them against one of her…"Suzie, wake up!" she half shouted, remaining rooted to the spot.

The snoring girl did not even stir.

"_Suzanne McKeen,_ if you don't get up _now_—" but she cut off the sentence as the lead wolf growled low at the volume.

She knew nothing about wolves! What was she supposed to do?! Run? Stand her ground? Act ferocious?

The other two wolves had spread out to the right and left, forming a wide circle. They appeared to be licking their jaws; maybe they hadn't eaten in a while, or maybe they were just investigating the camp? Naomi doubted they had ever come across monsters before. What were they doing? The lead had leapt onto a boulder in the middle of the river. He wasn't moving; just staring at Naomi curiously, who had decided to try and stand her ground—unless she fainted in fear.

She planted her feet, bared her fangs, and let out the most terrifying snarling hiss she could muster. She lit up her three eyes to make them burn red in the dark. With the campfire's glow in the background, the tall purple monster appeared quite impressive.

The lead wolf stumbled back in confusion, but did not flee. This new type of prey was very interesting. He growled with the fur on his neck standing up. The other two began closing in…not too close, though. Having never encountered prey quite like this before, they didn't seem too sure what to do.

"Shoo! Get away!" Naomi found her voice and grabbed some rocks. She chucked them as hard as she could. She was not aiming to hurt them—such a barbaric act was beneath her. The rocks startled the animals and one of the two smaller wolves backed off with a yelp. The other had crept right up to the very edge of camp, so Naomi threw more rocks and shouted again. This time, the tactic failed. He was a braver soul and not so easily driven off.

_Why_ didn't Suzie wake up? That girl could sleep through an earthquake!

Time for drastic measures…Naomi tried something else: she breathed a slender jet of flame. Its heat never singed the wolves' fur; she had no desire to hurt them in any way. The blasts of fire did force him to huddle back towards the leader.

She stood in a strong fighter's stance, refusing to move. "Shoo! Get out of here, you dogs!" She inhaled again as a warning.

The smaller ones were quiet now, but the leader bared his teeth. He was looking not-so-sure about this 'easy' herd of prey now.

Naomi glowered to send out a larger breath of flame. She yelled unintelligibly and took a step forward in what she hoped was a threatening way.

Slowly, the pack backed off. At her final breath, the smaller ones actually turned tail to scamper back into the shadows of the forest. The leader was the last to leave, deciding that this herd was not worth the effort.

Naomi jumped around in circles ecstatically. It worked! Oh, if only her ex-sorority could see her now! This felt better than winning a thousand scare contests! In her nervousness, beads of sweat had formed on her skin. She paused to wipe them from her forehead and went on grinning triumphantly. "Who says I can't be useful in the forest?" She looked over her shoulder at Bernard and Suzie—neither had even stirred from their slumber. Suzie's snoring reamained nice and steady, and Bernard's chest moved up and down as he breathed.

"_Really?_ No one saw that?!" Naomi's eyes gleamed red in annoyance. "You guys had better be awake the next time I defend you from wolves!" She resumed her patrolling in case the pack showed up again. Each stride now bore a new sense of confidence. What an exciting night this was turning out to be!

…

The whole gang reunited at noon the following day. The wait had been agonizing for the ones waiting at the river. Bernard was still motionless, which was very disquieting. He must've hit his head harder than they thought.

Scattered about the riverbank was the disassembled camp: tent poles, old sheets as well as new ones, whittled bowls and cups, hides, weapons, the frying pan, and all sorts of collected knickknacks. With the arrival of the café food, the entire party had had a sweet breakfast of apples. The baked goods they decided to save for when Bernard was awake and alert.

Naomi was recounting her fiasco with the wolves to Suzie. She was so pleased with herself that some details ended up exaggerated, such as the part when a wolf leapt clear over her head and she was forced to do a somersault to get out its way.

"Look, I believe the wolves were here," said Suzie honestly. "But I don't believe you fought them, and I don't believe you did a backwards somersault like in a martial arts movie."

"OK, so I made that part up. But I _did _scare them off!"

While she retold the tale in a more truthful manner, Becca and Randall had the med kit open and were consulting the first aid book on what to do. There wasn't much to do about Bernard's ribs; after further examining them, they realized the breaks weren't too bad. They might have to do the healing on their own. For the leg, things were more complicated. Bernard had very short, stocky legs, and it took a long time until the bone was shifted back into place. To make a splint, tent poles were used, and bandages from a sheet torn into strips.

"Doesn't this thing have any advice about head injuries?" Becca flipped through the guide.

"Not much. It doesn't seem like his skull is broken, though," said Randall as he checked the bandages on Bernard's head. "Guess all we can do is wait."

"Now I really wish I had taken some sort of first aid course! Fear Co. was offering one when I was banished. A lot of factories do that, I think…Is anyone in your family a doctor?" she asked seriously, trying to catch Randall off-guard.

…

Randall was still reluctant to discuss them. _Why won't you guys just let me forget?_

But he answered the question while pointing at Bernard's wounds. "Yes, actually, but not this kind of doctor. Will you drop the questions, already?"

…

Becca silently cursed in frustration. She changed the subject. "Oh, Suzie, I forgot. I found this in the hotel," She fetched the nature book from her pack. "You're welcome."

"Don't be rude, Becca," Suzie looked at the table of contents and her face lit up. "Oh, this is perfect! It's like a dictionary about the local plants and wildlife. This could help with our foraging. Especially way out here."

"Does it have anything in there about wolves?" Naomi read over Suzie's head.

…

Randall got to work in clearing away rocks to form a more comfortable campsite. The gang had to stay right here it seemed, for Bernard's sake. It was easier than trying to haul him around on a make-shift stretcher.

Randall had a few ideas on how to make this riverbank more livable. For starters, they should build some lean-tos out of branches and foliage; it was the only way to get some shelter, for this new campsite was very exposed. On a plus side, there was an ever-flowing fresh water source right at their feet. On the other hand, they were far from any kind of civilization. The newly gathered supplies would have to be carefully rationed and used sparingly.

After listening to Naomi, he found himself half-believing the wolf encounter. If this area of forest was wolf territory, the group would have to be on guard constantly.

He unloaded four armfuls of rocks down at the river's edge. Squinting up at the tall pine trees, he realized just how precarious a predicament this was: Bernard injured and they were out in the middle of one of the wildest parts of Yellowstone. Things couldn't really get much worse.

_Guess we'll be roughing it for a while…_

**I'm not too sure with how this part turned out; I was just trying something to get Naomi into that 'survivor' type role that the others have. The PNK members I think would have one heck of a time adjusting to the forest. ****I put in a massive hint about Randall's family towards the end. We'll finally learn about them in the next chapter! Are you as excited as I am? :) Feel free to let me know what you think about how this is going! As always, possitiveity is much appreciated. :) Love you all! -P.D.**


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